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Flathead girl hit by vehicle is finally heading home

Flathead girl hit by vehicle is finally heading home
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Nine months after she was hit by a vehicle in Olney, seven-year-old Jordana Hubble is finally coming home.

Jordana was hit by a vehicle when she got off her school bus and tried to cross US Highway 93 on November 12, 2019. After initially being treated in the Flathead area, she was taken to Nexus Children’s Hospital in Houston in January to continue her recovery. She has been in Houston since then with her mother Veronica, rehabilitating in a coma emergence program.

Jordana received the OK from doctors and will be traveling from Houston back to her home in Olney on Thursday.

Jordana’s father Cody says she will now continue her treatment in Whitefish. This will be the first time Cody has seen Jordana in-person since she left for Houston. “She definitely had no clue what was going on, she didn’t understand why I wasn’t taking her home when I would come see her in the hospital," Cody said "That’s all she knew, she knows she’s coming home now.”

Patricia Berliner, the driver charged with hitting Jordana, was arraigned in Flathead County District Court in April. Berliner pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony criminal endangerment and was released on her own recognizance. The charge carries a maximum term in the Montana State Prison of 10 years and a maximum fine of $50,000.

The trial for Berliner has been delayed. Berliner waived her rights to a speedy trial for the period of a requested continuance, according to court documents. Originally set for August 17, court documents show the trial will now be held on November 30. Court documents state that “the defendant needs additional time to adequately prepare her defense for trial and to adequately investigate this matter.”