Family demanding justice after two 22-year-olds hit by car in downtown Milwaukee

NOW: Family demanding justice after two 22-year-olds hit by car in downtown Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- What started off as a celebration of a new chapter among friends in downtown Milwaukee turned into a nightmare.

Samantha Zganjar and her friend Chloe were crossing the street early Sunday morning, July 20, when her family says a driver crashed through a barrier and hit both girls.

The Milwaukee Police Department says that driver was only cited and is not facing criminal charges.

"I don’t know how somebody who does something like that to two girls and then you see these girls on the ground in the condition they are in, I don’t know how that happens," said Joe Zganjar, Samantha's Dad.

He says Saturday night, Samantha was out celebrating her longtime friend, Chloe, for her recent graduation.

"It's awesome to see your child's life just come to fruition and just everything come together and something so stupid like this happens for no reason at all," said Zganjar.

He says when the two were crossing along Water and State St., when a driver crashed through a barricade and hit the two 22-year-olds.

That’s when he got a call he never expected from his wife.

"'She's alive, she's okay I think, I'm headed to the hospital'," said Zganjar. "I'm like 'what? What are you talking about? What's happening?' Then she was like 'Samantha was just hit by a car' and that’s obviously a phone call you never want to get in your life."

He says Samantha was knocked unconscious, left with a broken arm, hand, nose, facial fractures and bruises all over her body.

"She was literally laying in a puddle of her own blood on the bed," said Zganjar.

Samantha just graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and is preparing to start her master's this fall.

"Always looking to have a good time, always wants to be the life of the party, runs around, hangs out with her friends constantly," said Zganjar. "Always doing something, doesn’t necessarily like to sit still."

Now her days are filled with doctor appointments, as she begins her long road to recovery.

Her family is left feeling frustrated and uneasy that the driver who caused her pain was only cited and not facing charges.

"People need to be held accountable for what they do and I hope when that time comes, that driver accepts all responsibility and I hope she is punished in the full extent of the law," said Zganjar.

CBS 58 News reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department regarding this incident and they responded saying in part "MPD is continuing to review this incident; however, at this time, it appears this was an unfortunate accident that did not rise to the level of a crime." 

Zganjar's family says they will keep pushing for charges and say they want to see more done to combat reckless driving, including concrete barriers along Water Street.

There are GoFundMe's to support the recoveries of both Sam and Chloe, who Zganjer says is still in the ICU as of Thursday, July 24.

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