Parents tell of London designer’s miracle escape from fatal head-on crash during US road trip

A costume designer from London had a “miraculous” escape after a fatal head-on crash during a US road trip.

Elizabeth Real, 30, was driving a friend on Highway 199 in Oregon when their Nissan Versa was hit by a Toyota Corolla on the wrong side of the road. The pair were cut free from the mangled wreckage and rushed to hospital.

The other driver, Briana Varela, 27, was airlifted to hospital in Seattle where she was pronounced dead the next day.

Ms Real, who lives in Croydon and has worked on films including Fantastic Beasts and Guardians Of The Galaxy, suffered broken bones in both her feet, legs and collarbone. She has been told by doctors she may not walk for a year.

Her passenger, Kelly Karaba from northern California, suffered a fractured pelvis, legs, collarbone and jaw.

Ms Real’s father Tony, 70, told the Standard: “It’s a miracle really that she survived. She has had her kneecaps replaced, titanium rods put in her legs and suffered injuries to the rear of her head. She had 12 major operations in one day at one point.” Mr Real flew to the US with Elizabeth’s mother Alex Howell after seeing photos of the cars’ wreckage when they searched their daughter’s name online.

Mother Alex Howell

“We didn’t think it was that serious at first as when we first spoke to her she was speaking fairly lucidly and had been laughing and joking with the ambulance staff,” he said. “We thought it was a minor prang. Then the intensive care unit rang us on the Sunday and told us she’d had a stroke and had low blood pressure. We Googled her name and the photographs of the cars came up. She’s been in hospital for weeks and is miraculously laughing and joking.”

Ms Real was visiting friends during a month-long trip to the US and driving from California to Seattle when the crash happened on November 23.

Oregon State Police said Ms Varela was reported for driving “recklessly” 16 miles before the crash and had crossed onto the wrong side of the single carriageway. Ms Real’s medical bills are being covered by Ms Varela’s insurer.

Mrs Howell, 61, added: “I just went into meltdown as soon as my son told me. Her friend, who she was going to see in Seattle, flew in and was making decisions for us and we were so grateful. I asked Elizabeth if she remembered anything about the crash, and she said she remembers driving down the road in her lane, then saw the car come across to her lane and thought ‘Oh my God, this doesn’t look good’.

“She then remembers waking up to the firefighters cutting them out of the vehicle. She saw her passenger holding her broken jaw and she held on to her hand. They were both scared.

“The fireman was saying to them, ‘everything’s going to be okay’. She then saw her legs in the position they were in, and I think that memory will live with her for a while. It was just horrific, you think ‘how could anybody have survived?’”