Sterling Heights Family Speaks Out About Tragic Fatal Accident

The Gumma Family.

Faith Gumma was killed on August 12 in Sterling Heights when the car she was in with her family was struck by a teen driver fleeing police. Her son, Elijah, survived largely unscathed but her husband Norman has been in intensive care ever since.

Patrick Rabban is Norman Gumma’s cousin. He remembers receiving the call in August when Norman’s dad called him with the news. “He called me crying and he said, uh, he said, ‘Norman and Faith got into an accident. Faith is gone.’”

Patrick and Norman are the same age and the two of them grew up together. Patrick says life has not been easy for Norman. “He’s making progress,” said Patrick, referring to Norman’s recovery in the hospital. “I mean, that’s really all you can ask. He continues to trend in the right direction. Little by little, he’s getting stronger every day,” said Rabban.

The family recently got the good news Norman had been accepted at the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids. “You know it’s going to be a long road back, for sure, based on the pace that we’ve seen. But we feel confident once we get him to this rehab facility that progress will start accelerating faster and he’ll start making some better progress,” said Rabban.

The community is supporting this family as much as possible. The GoFundMe started on their behalf has reached nearly $280,000.

– WXYZ Detroit