HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — London Banks was 13 when she was critically injured by a hit-and-run driver while she was walking home from a store in the Spring area alongside her brother.
Now 17, London is the first to admit that her journey hasn't been easy.
"Not everything is going to be easy. You have to have faith," she said. "I am very thankful that I survived my accident."
It was Oct. 2, 2019, when London was hit and left for dead. She was thrown about 40 feet after the impact from the car. She suffered spinal cord and brain injuries. She was taken to the ICU, where she was unconscious and breathing through tubes. She had a broken nose and teeth. She was non-verbal and wasn't able to walk.
Her mother, Shandra Mosley-Banks, said the incident changed the trajectory of their lives.
"If the person is watching now, I mean, I don't really see how they could have peace with leaving a 13-year-old clinging on to life and just gone like she's not even trash in the street, I mean it's just horrible," Mosley-Banks said. "So, to be four years later, and see her defy all the odds that they said is, I think, one of the most greatest experiences for me."
London's road to recovery isn't over. She still needs physical therapy, rehab and pain medication. But, she said, she's found her peace.
"There's no point being angry about something that's not going to change," London said.
During her long rehab days, London, who's a huge Astros fan, watched games. Actually, the first words she spoke when she was able to talk, were, "Go 'Stros."
Now, London focuses on school and her business, "Gifted by London." She makes shirts, gift baskets and balloon bouquets, among other things.
"Crafting, it's usually a nice way of expressing yourself without using words," London said.
She has overcome the odds and continues her journey through life.
"Nothing's ever easy. You have to fight for what you want to make it possible," London said.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office released video of the suspect's vehicle. Four years after the incident, the driver still hadn't been caught. Investigators said it was a dark-colored, convertible Kia Forte with tinted windows that was speeding down Ella Boulevard. Witnesses said the car never stopped or slowed down. Anyone with information that could help investigators should call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).