Local News

GoFundMe for girl injured in Foxborough crash raises thousands as mother faces OUI charges

Rosie Wilson, 8, was in a car with her mother when it struck an ambulance head-on. She suffered a fractured vertebrae.

Rosie Wilson. GoFundMe

March 4, 2024

2 minutes to read

On Feb. 22, 8-year-old Rosie Wilson was in a car with her mother when it struck an ambulance head-on in Foxborough. Authorities allege that her mother was driving drunk at the time. Rosie, who was transported via medflight to a hospital with severe injuries, was one of five people injured in the incident.

Now, an online fundraiser for the young girl has brought in more than $20,000.

The GoFundMe was created by Emma Daniels, a neighbor of Rosie whose daughter is also friends with the girl. By the time Daniels created the fundraiser last week, Rosie had already undergone three “lengthy” surgeries. Her injuries were considered life-threatening and she faces a “long road” to recovery, Daniels wrote.

Donations ranging from $10 to $500 poured in.

“Every donation, no matter how small will contribute to Rosie’s journey towards healing and recovery. Your generosity can provide peace of mind allowing the family to focus on Rosie regaining her health without the added stress of financial worries,” Daniels wrote.

Rosie, a second-grader at H. Olive Day School in Norfolk, wants to be a police officer when she grows up, according to Daniels.

She was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital after the crash. One of her injuries was a fractured vertebrae, and an MRI was scheduled to determine if she would need further surgeries. As of Saturday she was “intubated and sedated,” but “overall healing well,” Daniels wrote. Doctors at MGH were happy with her progress.

Rosie’s mother, Jenna Wilson, was arrested last week on charges of operating under the influence of liquor, endangering a child, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and reckless endangerment to a child. She pleaded not guilty in Wrentham District Court and was released on personal recognizance, according to court documents.

Jenna was behind the wheel of a Honda Pilot traveling southbound on Main Street in Foxborough that crossed into the northbound lane and struck an ambulance, police said. One patient and two personnel members were in the ambulance, and all five people involved in the crash were brought to hospitals.

A witness told authorities that the Honda was driving “weird, like it didn’t know the area,” according to a police report. Jenna told police that she had been bowling with her daughter at Splitsville in Foxborough and had had two espresso martinis. She did not remember if she had any other alcoholic beverages that day. Jenna told police that she was tired, and that it was the end of school vacation week. She remembered looking for something in the car, possibly a stuffed animal, right before the crash.

“She saw the ambulance but, by that time, it was too late,” Foxborough police wrote in a report.

After the allegations against Jenna became public, Daniels said that multiple people asked for their donations back.

“This fundraiser is not for anything else but Rosie’s recovery,” Daniels wrote. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on this story. What I do know is that people have come together for this little girl, please don’t let anything change that.”