ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been almost two years since a First Coast woman was nearly killed in an accident with a St. John County Deputy, and now she is suffering more than ever.
Jenny Perez’s medical bills have reached about $6 million, she still endures debilitating pain, she has lost her fiancé and caregiver, and she is about to be homeless.
Reports show a St. Johns County deputy turned in front of Perez and her fiancé Tom Eiland on their motorcycles in April 2019.
Reports show the deputy was at fault, but a settlement with the sheriff’s office will only cover a fraction of Perez’s medical bills because the law caps payouts involving government agencies to no more than $200,000.
As Perez works with her lawyers to receive enough money to pay her medical bills, she was surviving with her fiancé. Eiland would take Perez to her appointments and take care of her physically as she still endures significant pain and health complications.
Perez’s fiancé, Tom Eiland, died of COVID-19 a few weeks ago.
“I lost him in the blink of an eye,” Perez said. “It was so fast.”
Perez and Eiland lived together, but since Eiland didn’t have a will, all of his belongings went to blood relatives. Perez is now left with nothing from the life they built together.
“It’s the worst nightmare because what am I going to do?” Perez said with tears.
Perez is no longer living in Eiland’s house and was living in a hotel for two weeks. On Friday, she has to start sleeping in her car.
As Perez swallows down her pain medications, she is bombarded with credit collector calls. It’s getting harder to take things day by day.
“People say if you’re still here that’s because that’s what God wants and you have a job to do,” Perez said. “But I don’t understand. I really don’t.”