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Cab Driver On Road To Recovery After Dragging Incident

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Former taxicab driver Dorothy Elliott is now in a wheelchair, but she's doing well after an incident in which a passenger dragged her on the pavement using her own taxi.

"It's a blessing," said Elliott. "I think the Lord got me here for a reason."

Elliott said the passenger tried to pay her with fake money after a ride in July, and then one thing led to another.

"He had ahold of my hand and he grabbed my keys out of my hand and I couldn't get loose," she said. "He wouldn't let me go and, next thing I knew, I heard a car being floored."

Elliott thought about her family. She also prayed her body would stay clear of the tires.

"All I know is I was trying to get up and I felt like my whole body was on fire and I happened to look down at my leg and that's when I (saw) the hole in it," she said.

Elliott spent a month in the hospital. Doctors rebuilt her ankle, sewed her ear, and treated deep scrapes and burns. Doctors say she should walk again.

But, that's not all she thinks about. She's getting married next summer and plans to walk down the aisle, literally. She also said she would like to become a nurse.

As for the crime, police arrested the suspect, Johnny Savva Jr., shortly afterward. His case hasn't yet gone to trial.

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