I didn't know she was in a plane crash, either. Depending on the type of accident it was, you can get some truly awful neck and back injuries, esp. compression injuries. Surviving them is not easy ... many people would survive the initial impact, but the secondary impacts can kill you.
Yes, even deadly injuries. Whiplash and shearing injuries are the most common. Severe whiplash/shearing killed NASCAR drivers Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Dale Earnhardt Sr. within a period of just over a year. After Dale Sr.'s death, NASCAR mandated use of head-and-neck restraint systems in all its cars.
Before their use, other drivers who suffered similar injuries, but who survived (e.g., Steve Park and Jerry Nadeau) had their careers cut short due to the permanent effects.
It isn't just the bones and tissues of the neck that are injured in such accidents. The brain slams against the skull, resulting in severe concussions or worse.