Teen injured in Cape Coral crash shows signs of recovery, family says

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

The last thing Monica Piscopo said to her 14-year-old daughter before she left home Friday night was a simple reminder.

“Did you bring a hoodie?” she recalled.

Her daughter, Stella, was heading to a friend’s house on her scooter — a trip her mother said typically takes about 30 minutes and one she had made many times before.

Stella never arrived.

When the girl’s friend contacted Piscopo to say she hadn’t shown up and wasn’t answering her phone, the mother immediately feared the worst. She had heard reports of a crash at the intersection of Santa Barbara Boulevard and Veterans Parkway.

“I immediately thought it was her,” Piscopo said.

Police later confirmed Stella had been involved in a collision with a pickup truck at the busy Cape Coral intersection.

Video from the scene shows Stella crossing along the sidewalk while the traffic light was green before the crash. The impact itself was not released publicly due to its severity.

“Several people told me it was bad — really bad,” Piscopo said.

The intersection, a heavily traveled area in Cape Coral, is known for constant traffic. Local residents say navigating it requires extra caution.

“I don’t cross the intersection unless I’m assured that the driver sees me,” said Lance Grady, a bicyclist in the area. “You want to make eye contact if you can.”

Stella was taken to a hospital in St. Petersburg, where she remains in serious condition. Her injuries include a brain bleed, a broken leg and a fractured pelvis. She has been unconscious since the crash.

The incident came just days after her 14th birthday.

However, there are early signs of improvement. Piscopo said her daughter briefly opened her eyes and began making what doctors described as purposeful movements.

“It’s a good sign,” she said.

Cape Coral police said speed, drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash.

Piscopo said she remains hopeful about her daughter’s recovery and is urging other young riders to be cautious.

“Be more careful with these e-bikes and scooters,” she said. “These accidents are happening more and more.”

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