Teen Injured In Crash With Fire Truck Graduates From Providence High In Special Ceremony
BURBANK (CBSLA.com) — A special graduation ceremony was held Thursday night for a young woman who was seriously injured in a car accident earlier this year.
Three days before Olivia Menke, 18, of Burbank was set to graduate, she was involved in a car crash with a Los Angeles County fire truck on Pacific Coast Highway.
"I was really sad to have missed my graduation because I was going to walk down the aisle with one of my better friends," said Menke, who spent five weeks in the hospital in a coma with brain injuries.
Menke attended Providence High School in Burbank.
She had a 4.6 grade-point average, was captain of her volleyball team, as well as ASB president.
Menke was an outstanding student and the school felt that since she couldn't actually participate in her graduation, they would put on another one.
RELATED: Providence High School Class Salutatorian Remains Hospitalized After Crash With Fire Truck
"They really wanted to do this for her so that makes me feel good, knowing that she had such an affect on that school," Menke's mother said.
Prior to the accident, Menke received a scholarship to Bentley University in Massachusetts. She says she eventually wants to be an attorney or go into politics.
For now, she says, this graduation means new beginnings.
"This means that I can finally move on and get back to working and explore other options for me to pursue career goals," she said.
Menke hopes she will get her physician's approval to go ahead with her plans and attend college this fall.
