Turtle Recovering After Rescue From Lincoln Road

LINCOLN (CBS13) — A turtle turned speed bump in Lincoln is recovering thanks in part to a former veterinary technician's help.

Jamie Nelson saved the red-eared slider somewhat ironically named Crush and has been nursing her back to health ever since.

There's no question Crush would have died she hadn't intervened. More than one-third of the turtle's shell was smashed in, and things didn't look too good.

Crush was on 12 Bridges Road in Lincoln when Nelson saw her.

"I got about 10 feet from her, and a car ran her over," Nelson said.

She darted into traffic to save Crush and decided to take her home. She went back to her training for inspiration on how to put Crush back together again. She started applying Bondo, a product typically used for filling cracks in cars and homes, to Crush's shattered shell.

Over time she's brought in heat lamps, a pond and even some fish to help nurse the wayward turtle back to health. A more permanent fix will come with some lightweight fiberglass, a new pond with a ramp and continued TLC from her two sons.

Nelson is proud of how Crush is sticking her neck out these days. She even has her own Facebook page.

"She has 100 followers right now, which is pretty good for a turtle," she said.