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June 26, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 28, 2004 Family of critically injured woman seeking information By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings As Barbara Phelan lies in a coma following a Monday afternoon traffic accident, her family is asking anyone who saw the collision to step forward. Phelan, 77, a long-time Ashland resident, was critically injured Monday when her car was struck at the intersection of Ashland Street at Tolman Creek Road by a pickup truck driven by Robert Wilkinson, 40, of Medford. Ashland police believe one of the vehicles ran a red light, but it's unclear which one. Wilkinson, who was not injured, was unsure who ran the light, and no one who saw the collision take place has come forward, according to police. Also, the impact was so sudden that no skid marks were made, which has hindered the investigation. On Thursday afternoon, Phelan's granddaughter Jackie Freeman, of Central Point, put up several fliers at stores near the crash scene and throughout town asking anyone who saw the collision to contact them or the police. "We just want to know what happened at that intersection either way" said Berna Roper, Phelan's daughter and Freeman's' mother. "It's not a blame issue. We just want to know what happened for closure." Phelan suffered several severe injuries including the breaking of nearly all her ribs in several places, head trauma, broken facial bones, broken bones in the neck and a punctured lung. Her aorta was also torn in half, said Roper, who works as a secretary at Ashland High School. Phelan is in critical condition at Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford. Thursday afternoon, the family received a glimmer of hope when Phelan was removed from the Coronary Care Unit to the Intensive Care Unit "It's a good sign that it's a lateral move to the ICU," Roper said. "It's saying that her heart surgery has taken." Doctors told Roper her mother's chances of pulling through are "50-50." "We just hope she'll make it and we're all praying as hard as we can," Freeman said. "My grandmother has been a very strong and caring person. She raised me along with my mother. It's just been very devastating for all of us." Phelan moved to Ashland when she was a child, attended Bellview Elementary and graduated from Ashland High School. She worked for the City of Ashland and as a bookkeeper for the Ashland School District for 20 years until retiring in 1988. She was also an active member of Grace Lutheran Church in Ashland. She has made countless friends over the years, many who have called the family the past several days, Roper said. They received so many calls, Roper put an update on how Phelan was doing on her answering machine. "It's a wonderful feeling to know she's thought of by so many people," Roper said. "We do believe everyone's prayers are helping." Anyone with information is asked to call the Ashland Police Department at 482-5211, or Berna Roper at 772-8932. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams