Eden Prairie Woman Paralyzed After Being Hit By Car While Competing In Florida Triathlon

CBS Minnesota

April 16, 2026

In just the past few years, Ashleigh Whitton of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, had begun competing in triathlons. After colliding with a car that ended up in her racing path on Sunday, she's been left paralyzed from the neck down.

Whitton was in West Palm Beach, Florida, to participate in the BillBone Olympic Triathlon. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputies, a 74-year-old driver moved across a lane that had been shut down to vehicular traffic for the race. The driver was trying to enter a park, creating an "unavoidable" crash. Whitton and a second cyclist hit the passenger side of the car. Whitton was airlifted to a hospital with severe injuries.

Her family is now at her side. Sophia Yoerks, Whitton's daughter, got to West Palm Beach as quickly as she could once she heard the news. Yoerks said that her mom has always been an inspiration not just to her but to everyone who met her.

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