It was just another commute for Taylee Bornong. She was on her way home to Bozeman after a shift at the Livingston hospital when her life changed forever after she was struck, head-on, by a wrong-way driver on I-90.

"I remember the very first thing that was in my head was, was it my fault? Did I just screw up somebody's life, did I just act stupid on the road? What happened?" describes Bornong.

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On July 10, 2024, 24-year-old Taylee Bornong’s Ford Bronco was struck by the vehicle of Jennifer Lager-Fermon, an Ohio woman who was headed westbound in the eastbound lanes of the interstate.

Court documents say Fermon’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was nearly four times the legal limit.

"I was in the coma for about three days, and what I remember from waking up is, the first thing I saw were these white tiled ceilings," says Bornong. "I see my mom’s face kind of hovering over me, and she’s crying, and she has a little smile on her face, and she says, 'Hi Taylee, it’s Mom. You’re in the ICU at Billings Clinic. We’re in an accident, but you’re going to be okay.'"

Bornong was life-flighted from the scene of the accident, where she suffered numerous external and internal injuries.

She says, "I had 16 breaks and my whole humerus was fractured in so many pieces, especially my elbow, kind of in the middle. They kind of described it to me as trying to put a puzzle back together."

Bornong says the emotional toll of the accident has weighed just as heavily on her as the physical.

"A great example would be, I cry quite often. I cry on my way to work passing the spot where I was in this car accident. I cry on my way back in the same day," she says.

Miraculously, Taylee took her first steps just four months after numerous surgeries and weeks of therapy. And she was back at work as a radiology tech within 7 months—but not without difficulties.

"It wasn’t even because it was easy for me to go back to work; I have so many restrictions at work. And it’s definitely hard. I have to spend a lot of nights sleeping upright because I physically can’t lay down from the pain of working or doing daily activities," she says.

Despite her suffering, Bornong shows a great deal of compassion when thinking of the woman who changed her life.

"You know, I even used to pray for her when I was in the ICU. Not even because I felt bad for her—I just, I don’t know. For someone to willingly know how drunk they are and then get on the road? You need help, support in your life to make you better, so you don’t ever put someone’s life at risk ever again," she says.

But the biggest thing that’s kept Taylee going? The love and support of her family, friends, and community.

"You know, even though they were helping me financially, if they weren’t there for me as much as they were—I just feel like they saved me mentally," she says.

Visit the GoFundMe launched for Taylee for more information about her accident and recovery.