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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 23, 2005 Extensive recovery period awaits Medford bicyclist By CHRIS CONRAD Mail Tribune Jeffery Summerhays may never remember the day he dropped off his mother’s lunch and then dashed across town to meet his girlfriend at South Medford High School. His family hopes the scrapbook they’re building will fill him in on what he’s missed since slipping into an induced coma following a car accident that nearly killed him. Pamela Grober got the call Friday while at work at Meier & Frank. There was an accident. Her son was hit by a car while riding his bicycle on J Street, just across the street from the high school. "I was expecting a broken arm — a small break," Grober said. "He’s always been an accident waiting to happen. He can’t walk a straight line without hurting himself." The dozens of students who witnessed the accident knew better. Advertisement The area near the school is busy during lunch hour, as students mill around J Street waiting for classes to begin. Many of them saw Summerhays dart in front of the car. Apparently, he did not see it coming toward him as he tried to cross the street, Grober said. Medford-resident Brian Johnson, who was driving behind the car that struck Summerhays, said that many of the students were devastated by the sight of the young man’s torn and bloody body lying in the road. Grober was not prepared for what she saw in Rogue Valley Medical Center’s emergency room. The crash had left 18-year-old Summerhays with two severely fractured legs, a broken arm and punctured lung. But it was the sight of his face that continues to haunt Grober. It would take doctors around 13 hours to do extensive repairs to the entire left side of her son’s face. When the car hit his bicycle head-on, his body was pitched forward and slammed into the windshield and wiper blade. He suffered severe nerve damage to the entire side of his face. The pavement left him with terrible road rash on his arm. Doctors induced a coma to allow his system to heal. The one bright spot came when the doctors told the family his brain had not suffered any damage, said Michelle Summerhays, Jeffery’s sister. So far, he is looking at around $200,000 in hospital bills. That doesn’t include the coming surgeries and physical therapy that will allow Summerhay’s 6-foot, 1 inch, 222-pound body to ride his bicycle again. But hospital bills can wait. Right now Summerhays’ family needs money for rent and utilities. Grober, who is the sole source of income in her home, had to take a leave of absence from her job in order to be with her son. "I know nothing about charities," Grober said. She has worked at Meier & Frank for close to a decade. A friend at work decided to start a fund at local Washington Mutual bank branches. Anyone who wants to contribute can drop off money at any branch under the name Jeffery Summerhays. Police said that the investigation into the incident is continuing. Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail Extensive recovery period awaits Medford bicyclist ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Advertisement s