The Clermont County community is coming together to support car accident victims

GOSHEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – Four months after a Clermont County couple was seriously injured in a car crash, people have united to support them.

Jacob Demaris and his girlfriend Sabrina Deitz drove home in August when their pickup truck was hit by an SUV in Goshen Township. The driver of the SUV later died from their injuries, and it has been a long recovery process for the couple who have been together for almost four years.

“I know I was hit head-on. After that, I couldn’t remember anything until I woke up in the hospital,” Jacob said.

Surgery means they can no longer do activities they love, such as horseback riding.

“It’s hard when you can’t do the fun things you want to do, like riding horses, because you have to wait a year,” Deitz said. ‘You have to wait for certain things. I think so too. It’s hard everywhere.’

Jacob’s medical expenses took a toll on his mental health. To help with costs, his mother, Patty Demaris, decided to organize a benefit for him. Local businesses donated raffle baskets to raise the money he needs to stay afloat.

“It was just stressful watching him go through it because there was nothing I could do,” Patty said. ‘To know that you have so many family and friends who want to help. There are people I don’t even know who have donated to help him, and I’m so grateful and appreciative.”

Despite everything they’ve been through, the traumatic experience has made the couple stronger.

“It’s brought us closer together,” Jacob said. “We take care of each other and talk to each other more than three to four times a day.”

“He helps me when I need help getting in and out of vehicles, and makes sure I’m okay when I need something, and I also ask him certain things,” Deitz said. “We got through it day after day and did well together.”

Both Deitz and Demaris required surgeries due to the injuries they suffered from the crash. They both said that even though they were still recovering, they remained in good spirits.

There was no fundraising goal, but anyone who wants to help Jacob can do so by contacting Bean and Brew, the coffee shop that hosted the benefit.