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Jury awards $15M to student hurt in wreck

BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. — A jury has awarded $15 million to a former nursing student who survived a fiery crash that killed several other students.

Channel 2's Liz Artz was in the courtroom Friday night when the jury came back with the unanimous decision for Megan Richards.

Attorney Bob Cheely told a jury Friday he wanted no less than $25 million Richards has been through, what she is going through now and what she will deal with the rest of her life.

"It's hard sometimes to think that I deserve something, you know? It's hard to even grasp that," Richards told Artz after the verdict came down.

The 22-year-old was among seven nursing students caught in a fiery crash in 2015 not far from Savannah.

The seven young women were headed to their final clinical training when a truck crashed into traffic, killing five of the seven, seriously injuring Richards and another young woman.

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"I want people to know they're not alone, that it's OK to go through something like that. It makes you stronger in the end," Richards said.

Cheeley said both sides agreed to not appeal the case, and Megan should have the settlement in the next month or so.

She plans to start her new nursing job in Savannah on Feb. 20.