Republican South Carolina state Rep. Katie Arrington credited God and her friend for saving her life during her first official public appearance since she was in a car crash just weeks after after beating Rep. Mark Sanford in the Republican primary for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

"When we braced for impact, we both braced to hold onto each other," Arrington told reporters, referring to Jacqueline Goff, who was driving the car they were traveling in when it was struck by another vehicle heading in the wrong direction down U.S. Highway 17.

"God and Jackie were my saviors," she continued.



"This campaign's never stopped for me." @pdoocy reports on congressional candidate @karringtonsc who spoke for first time since she was injured in a car crash. @ShepNewsTeam https://t.co/vjTS2Qbqju pic.twitter.com/yg9h2qASNE — Fox News (@FoxNews) July 6, 2018

Arrington added she did not lose consciousness during the incident and expressed her condolences to the driver of the other car, Helen White, 69, who died from the injuries she sustained in the collision.

Arrington, who is still in "a great deal of pain" from internal wounds and wheelchair-bound, said her campaign for Congress "never stopped" for her, despite her limited mobility. But she said she would not be returning to the campaign trail soon and that Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., would continue substituting for her when he can.

"I'm going to take doctors' orders very seriously. I don't want these injuries to prevent me from living a full, energetic life, so I'm going to take the time," Arrington said of instructions to rest for another month now that she can leave MUSC Health.

Arrington will face Democrat Joe Cunningham in the general election on Nov. 6.