CAPE WOMAN'S RECOVERY SLOW AFTER ACCIDENT

It will be months before Lois Roberts of Cape Girardeau will be able to start physical therapy for injuries she received in a car accident north of Columbia last month.

Roberts and her friend, Janetta Sacshe of Cape Girardeau, were returning home from a trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when the car they were riding in was hit head-on. Sacshe, who was driving, was killed.

A highway patrol report said Sacshe and Roberts were traveling south on Highway 63 north of Columbia about 11:15, on Sunday, April 6. For unknown reasons a vehicle driven by a Madison, Wis., man, who was also killed, traveled into the path of their car.

In a statement to the patrol, Roberts said, "I saw one headlight coming straight at us. I screamed to my friend (Sasche) about the light and that's all I know. I saw the lights go out; the cars were spinning." It was reported that Roberts was cut from the vehicle and transferred by helicopter to the University of Missouri Medical Center in Columbia.

Roberts sustained serious injuries to her left arm and leg. Many bones in her left hand were broken along with numerous other injuries. She is a patient at the Rust Rehabilitation Center at the University of Missouri Hospitals in Columbia.

A nurse caring for Roberts said her recovery will be slow because she is unable to bear weight on her left arm and leg. "She is using a wheelchair and will not be able to bear weight on her leg for over three more months." The nurse said Roberts may be transferred to another facility until she is ready to begin rehabilitation.

In a phone call Roberts said she is having a hard time dealing with the trauma of the accident. "I've been doing psychological rehabilitation; I've been through a lot of trauma." She said her recovery is slow. "It will be a long drawn out thing."