MIDVALE, Utah (ABC4) – The family of a woman struck and killed by a car in Midvale on Wednesday is speaking out about the struggles of mental health.
Keisha Darling, the sister of 33-year-old Patricia Ann Earl, says they believe her sister’s mental health may have played a factor in the auto-pedestrian accident near 7500 South State Street in Midvale Wednesday afternoon.
“I believe her mental health may have played a part in her accident yesterday,” said Darling. “She would hallucinate things that were not there on a regular basis. She consistently spoke to people or things that were just not there. This may have been what happened when she just ran out into the road yesterday. She may have been having a mental hallucination and as a result, could have just run into the road. I can’t say if she knew she would be hurt or not. We have not received much information from detectives and what they found during their investigation.”
Darling says her sister’s mental health declined after the sudden loss of one of her children.
“She was a fun and loving parent, sister, and daughter she was just a good person all around until one of her children was lost in a tragic drowning accident,” said Darling. “After the trauma of losing her son, she suffered from depression and increasing symptoms associated with being Bipolar and Schizophrenic. Her mental health just never recovered. She became very depressed and started showing signs that she was going to hurt herself.”
The family wants others to know that it is important for anyone who suffers from Mental Illness or depression to seek help and healthcare.
“She was in and out of mental health facilities, but it got to the point that she hated receiving healthcare. She stopped any treatment or medications the doctors tried to help her with.”
Patricia has 3 surviving young children and a family who loves her. Due to this unexpected tragedy, the family is finding it difficult to cover funeral expenses. Anyone wishing to help can do so at America First Credit Union under Patricia Ann Earl, any donations would help with the cost of the funeral and helping the surviving children.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please reach out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Utah at namiut.org.
