LOUELLA WINTON

At Erlanger Medical Center where the family of 91-year-old Louella Winton has been keeping a constant vigil since last Tuesday. Louella Winton is the woman who was severely injured that day. A van driven by a woman with no driving experience crashed through her house and into the house next door, in Chattanooga's Cedar Hill community. Her neighbor Ruby Greene saw it all her front porch. She said she heard the van and says the woman driving never slowed down. Ruby Greene says "All of sudden she went to the far side and went right through the house."

Mrs. Winton was still in bed when her house was hit and ended up under the van outside her house. Her injuries were numerous. She suffered four badly broken ribs, a collapsed lung, head trauma and she has since suffered a stroke. Her son Dan describes his mother as a deeply religious woman and says the first thing she asked about at the hospital was whether the driver of the van was okay.

Yesterday, doctors told the family there is no hope of a recovery, and according to her wishes, she elected not to go on a ventilator. Now it's a matter of time. Dan Winton says "We have accepted the fact that this is a little too much for her to physically to overcome. So we have accepted the fact that she will soon find out. What she's had faith in, is real."

If Mrs. Winton passes away as expected, the charges against Vitalina Bautista Vargas will change dramatically. Authorities told us she'll likely be charged with criminally negligent homicide , leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license, driving without insurance and additional INS charges.

There is one bright spot in this story as the Wintons wait for the closure of one life in their family. At this very minute they're waiting on a new one to emerge... a great grandson for Mrs. Winton... Mason Martin Mize.

Illegal Alien Charged In Traffic Death To Be DeportedFamily Of Victim Favored Allowing Her To Stay In U.S.posted August 7, 2006
An illegal alien charged with running into a house on 45th Street and causing the death of a 91-year-old woman will be deported.However, prosecutor Jay Woods said the family of the victim had wanted Vitalina Bautista Vargas to be allowed to stay in the U.S. She has a child and a husband here. "They wanted one of the conditions to be that she learn how to drive," the prosecutor said. Prosecutor Wood said federal officials insisted that she be deported. He said as a convicted felon, she will not be allowed to apply to re-enter the country for at least 10 years. Ms. Vargas entered a guilty plea in Criminal Court to vehicular homicide. She was given four years probation. Ms. Vargas was allowed to hug her husband in court, and they had a tearful farewell.