South Florida College Student Trapped In Cuba After Crash

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – As college students across Florida returned to class Monday, Barbara Jimenez was noticeably absent.

The 22-year-old senior at the University of South Florida in Tampa remains in Cuba after a violent car crash three weeks ago.

Barbara's family says her medical insurance recently lapsed and they can't afford the $50,000 air ambulance flight to bring her back to the states.

Jimenez, her boyfriend John Fox, and two of her relatives were riding in a cab just outside Havana on August 3rd when the taxi collided with a truck head-on.

The taxi driver did not survive. Jimenez, Fox and the two other passengers were critically hurt.

Fox, who has health insurance, was flown out of Cuba and is recovering at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

The hospital could not release his condition Monday.

As for Barbara, a GoFundMe page set up in her name states her parents flew to Cuba to be at her bedside after traveling to the Cuban Embassy in Washington, DC to expedite an expired passport.

Barbara's sister, Caridad, has been leading the charge for support.

"The most amazing person I have ever met," Caridad Jimenez said. "She's the most genuine person. So caring. She's so beautiful inside and out."

"They're pretty much all alive by God's grace," she said of the accident. "It's been a miracle that they're even alive."

Caridad told the Naples Daily News her sister is receiving adequate care in Cuba, but they'd still like to bring her home.

Meanwhile, John Fox's family told the newspaper his son is awake and out of the critical care unit.

If you would like to help, Jimenez's sorority has set up a GoFundMe page.

As of 11 p.m. Monday, it had raised more than $11,000.

Not all health insurance policies cover policyholders while abroad. To learn more about travel medical travel insurance, which often include medical evacuation coverage, visit insuremytrip.com or contact a travel agent.