Cal Poly employee Lilianne Tang was severely injured in a car accident by a man arrested for driving under the influence in San Luis Obispo on Nov. 9. Tang is the social justice coordinator at the Cross Cultural Centers at Cal Poly.
The driver of the vehicle, Christopher Boyle, was under the influence of drugs when the collision occurred and was driving with a suspended license, according to San Luis Obispo Police Department’s news release.
Tang was struck by Boyle’s car while crossing the street at Johnson Street and Monterey Avenue. She was unconscious when first responders arrived at the scene and was transported to the hospital. After receiving immediate care at Sierra Vista Hospital in San Luis Obispo, she was transported to a hospital in Fresno.
According to a GoFundMe page created by Tang’s family, Tang has already undergone surgery to fix her hip, tibia and fibula in her left leg. She has additional injuries to her bowel and pelvis, as well as broken ribs and a bruised leg. She will potentially need more surgery.
Tang’s family created the GoFundMe fundraiser to help alleviate medical costs from the incident. The fundraiser exceeded its $10,000 goal and has raised $22,500 in just four days. They are still accepting donations, as the extent of her surgical costs are still unknown, and a new goal has been set to $45,000.
“Our thoughts are with her and her family, friends and coworkers at this time,” President Jeffrey Armstrong and Vice President Keith Humphrey wrote in a campus-wide email. “Through her work as a social justice coordinator with the Cross Cultural Centers, Lilianne supports students and the university’s diversity and inclusion efforts.”