Jessica Bunch was set to report for Marine Corps boot camp in two months, but her dream of serving her country was shattered when she was struck and run over by an SUV as she attempted to rent a movie from an outdoor vending machine.

Don Bunch said his 18-year-old daughter was feeling ill on July 6, so she went to the doctor and then to the pharmacy in Canton to pick up a prescription.

“She decided to get a movie from the Redbox unit on the sidewalk outside of the pharmacy, and as she had her back to the parking lot, an SUV pulled in, jumped the curb stop and onto the sidewalk, striking my daughter. She ended up with half of her body underneath the vehicle,” he said.

Bunch said he was called by the management of the pharmacy and told his daughter had been run over.

“Everything just stopped,” he said. “I got there just minutes before the ambulance left to meet the helicopter. We drove from Canton, and we beat the helicopter here by about 20 minutes.”

Jessica has since undergone multiple surgeries and has more surgeries planned to repair her battered body and injuries, including seven broken ribs, punctured lungs, shattered pelvis, a broken left ankle and more.

According to Canton police reports, the driver accidently hit the acclerator and sped up, jumping the curb, hitting the handicapped sign and striking Jessica and the Redbox unit.

Bunch questions whether the 79-year-old driver, a Canton woman, is competent to continue driving.

“My daughter did not have time to react, because from the time the woman began her turn, it was four seconds until my daughter was hit. No one could react that fast,” he said. “The woman should be tested to see if she is able to drive.”

Bunch said Marine Corps. recruiters check on his daughter daily.

“They have been incredible. They come up here once a day to check on how she is doing. That makes me extremely proud of them,” he said.

Jessica’s recruiter said he began talking with her in February and she was excited to join the corps

He said he could not discuss much of Jessica’s recruitment but he and his fellow Marines were standing beside her, because Jessica made a commitment to them, so they were honoring their committment to her.

Bunch said medical bills are mounting. A fund has been established at Austin Bank under the name of Jessica Bunch and a Give Forward account has been set up under “Jessica Bunch — Extended Hospital Relief.”

“We are approaching a $1 million (in expenses), and my insurance still has a percentage I have to pay. I’ve had to retain an attorney, and I just don’t know what will happen, but she could be looking at medical bills for the rest of her life,” Bunch said.

Bunch said Jessica has days when she’s overcome by panic attacks, but he knows she will rebound and come to terms with what has happened.

Jessica’s Facebook is filled with messages from friends before and since the accident, describing Jessica as a woman determined to finish everything she begins.

Her father agreed.

“Her dream of being a Marine is over, but when she is able, we will come up with a new dream for her,” he said. “With her personality, she will have a new dream, and we will be there for her every step of the way.”