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CLEAR Temp: 72 °F Wind: SW at 4 mph Thursday, October 2, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 26, 2003 Gymnast’s stepdad overwhelmed by media attention By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune When Oregon State University gymnast and Phoenix High graduate Meghan Jones was hit by a minivan over the weekend in Corvallis, her family got constant cell phone updates on how she was doing as they rushed to her side. They weren’t the only ones eager for news of Jones’ condition. Media from around the Northwest jumped on the story of the young athlete struck by an apparently intoxicated driver just outside an OSU football game. "I knew it would be a story in Corvallis, but it is all over Oregon and the Northwest," Jones’ stepfather Ed Mayer said. Advertisement The longtime Jackson County lawman headed plenty of investigations in his 28-year career with the sheriff’s department and ran for sheriff unsuccessfully last year, so he’s no stranger to dealing with reporters. However, he had never seen a media frenzy like he finds himself in the center of now, he said. He’s talked with reporters from Medford, Corvallis, Portland and Seattle, and is working with public relations officials at OSU and the hospitals where Jones, 20, has been treated. "I think I’ve spent 50 to 60 percent of my time up here to deal with the media," Mayer said from Portland, where Jones is being treated at Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center. When Jones was brought by ambulance to Legacy Emanuel on Tuesday afternoon, a swarm of reporters met the family. "They were like piranhas," he said. "They just ran to me with cameras." Television trucks set up outside the hospital ready to beam live coverage back to studios. Reporters rushed him and other family members and friends each time they walked out. Mayer, who became the family spokesman, bought a notebook to keep track of phone numbers and other details and has collected a stack of business cards 2 inches thick, he said. Meanwhile, Jones’ mom, Nancy Mayer, has spent almost every moment since the accident at her daughter’s bedside. Dad Rich Jones, of Ashland, is also nearby, as are her siblings, grandmother, boyfriend and numerous childhood and college friends, Ed Mayer said. Jones is heavily sedated but recognizes friends and family and carries on short conversations, he said. She was walking with two friends Saturday about 6:40 p.m. when the group was struck from behind by a minivan driven by Myrna Taylor, 45, of Albany. Jones’ friends, Bryan Austad, 18, of Jacksonville, and Brittany Risser, 18, of Medford, suffered minor injuries, but Jones had a broken pelvis and head injuries. "The drive up was the longest ever to Corvallis," Mayer said of the family’s rush to be with Jones. The worried family got regular updates along the way as Jones was rushed into emergency brain surgery after doctors initially thought she was doing fine. "It was an emotional rollercoaster," Mayer said. The wild ride continued as Jones again surprised doctors, this time with a speedier-than-expected rebound. On Tuesday she transferred to Portland, where surgery to repair her fractured pelvis had been set for today. She was in such good shape, doctors went ahead with the four-hour surgery Thursday, Mayer said. The surgery, however, discovered both sides of her pelvis were broken, not just one, as doctors first thought, Mayer said. Jones will have to rely on a wheelchair for months as she recovers, he said. Mayer said the entire family is grateful for the support they’ve had. "Her room looks like a florist shop, and a card shop, and a balloon shop," he said. With all the attention they’ve gotten, the family wants to focus on the cause of the accident — a driver police say was drunk. "The interest is because she is an athlete, but if she and the family can use the incident to get the message out to donate to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) or to think twice about drinking and driving, that would be good," Mayer said. Taylor remains jailed in Corvallis on charges of driving under the influence, second-degree assault and recklessly endangering another person. A Benton County Grand Jury is set to hear the case today. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times