Local News
‘She may never be the same person’
Sister of Murchison woman injured in wreck says family devastated; official police report yet to be completed
Carol Adams says her sister, Christy, is a beautiful woman.
It’s just so hard to see as she lays in a hospital bed at East Texas Medical Center Tyler in a medically induced coma, bruised and broken with injuries, literally, from head to toe.
Christy suffered life-threatening injuries in a head-on collision in the early morning hours of March 23. She and a friend, Franklin Pinkerton, were headed to a card game when the wreck happened on Loop 7 near East Texas Medical Center Athens and the intersection of State Highway 19 south.
According to police reports, Christy was driving a 1996 Plymouth Voyager that was hit head-on by a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban driven by Kenneth Dwayne “Pete” Cooper, 47, of Athens. Cooper is an owner of Cooper Funeral Home of Athens.
Reports say Cooper’s Suburban entered the westbound lane. Adams attempted to take evasive action but could not avoid the oncoming vehicle. The collision happened around 1:40 a.m. Further details have not been available as the Texas Department of Public Safety continues its investigation.
Pinkerton, a 50-year-old Florida resident, has been released from the hospital, and Cooper’s status is unknown. On Sunday, he was listed in fair condition in the intensive care unit at East Texas Medical Center Tyler. His family has since requested no information on his condition be released to the public.
Christy — who was taken to the hospital by helicopter — is still fighting for her life, Carol said, in a room very close to where Cooper is being treated. She added that a doctor has told family members he hasn’t seen anyone with the extent of Christy’s injuries live as long as she has.
Among her injuries, she has a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, a fractured sternum, multiple compound fractures, a perforated bowel, broken ribs and a broken pelvis.
“She even has stitches in her toes,” Carol told the Athens Review Thursday. “You should see my sister. Her whole face ... she’s bruised from head to toe. It’s horrible.”
Carol said Christy, a 40-year-old Murchison resident, was preparing to re-enter the working world after taking time off from her job in the medical field to take care of her three grandchildren — ages seven months, two and three. Those children are now in the care of their great-grandmother.
Family members have kept a constant vigil at Christy’s bedside, Carol said. Those family members are anxiously awaiting more information that may be included in the final findings of their investigation.
In the meantime, they are waiting to see if Christy can find a way to survive.
“Every day is a miracle she is still alive,” Carol said. “She may never be the same person. We’re afraid she’s never going to be the same.”
- Local News
-
-
AEDC board approves two performance agreements
The Athens Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors approved two performance agreements on Thursday.
The proposed agreements with Abby Development and the Athens Jet Center are very similar, said AEDC President/CEO Brian Malone.
He said the agreement with Abby Development provides a maximum incentive of $75,000 for infrastructure. -
Local historic treasure recovered
Athens Masonic Lodge No. 165 recovered tokens from its past — both large and small — from a building it had once called its own.
Lodge Secretary Randy Daniel, who is Athens’ mayor, said members retrieved two time capsules last Saturday with the permission of the Ginger Murchison Foundation, the current owner of the building.
The lodge, he said, met on that corner, the southwest corner of the Henderson County Courthouse square, for about 75 years. -
Eustace FFA does well in Fort Worth, San Antonio
The Eustace FFA Show teams have been very busy since the beginning of the year with competitions at two major stock shows.
-
Church News
Church News will run as items are received, based on available space. Items running in Church News will not be published in the Community Calendar.
-
Tenth grade poetry
Athens Christian Preparatory makes writing a priority. Tenth grade students who had poems chosen for national publication are shown.
-
Community Calendar
Community Calendar runs daily in the Review.
-
On the right track
Eustace’s Justin Bersterman takes a handoff from Austin White as they practice their relay before the Athens High School Track Meet.
-
Chamber optimistic about 2010
The Athens Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors are working to make 2010 a big year, according to Chamber Chairman Michael “Mo” Morrison.
-
Scholarship available through HCRSPA
If your senior son or daughter plans to attend a college or university in the summer and/or fall, and pursue a program in which he or she will receive teacher certification, a major in education or a teaching degree in a subject area with teacher certification, then this scholarship is for you.
-
Two injured after highway collision
Two people were injured Wednesday when a pickup truck driven by a 13-year-old boy attempted to drive across U.S. Highway 175, only to be struck by a west-bound motorist.
- More Local News Headlines
-
AEDC board approves two performance agreements
