By Paige Clifton-Steele
On Monday, October 9th, at 7:30 PM, a Jeep grand Cherokee carrying five Antioch students collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Leffels Lane and Dayton- Xenia road. Jessica Davis, Tony Colella, Vanessa Little, and Hannah and Emma Woodruff were heading back to campus when, according to witnesses, the other vehicle ran a red light and hit them as they pulled into the left turn lane. The other driver was a woman whom witnesses reported seeing talking on a cell phone at the time of the crash.
The car carrying the Antioch students was knocked in a semicircle by the collision, but all five students made it out. Vanessa, whose door was impacted, was helped out by a bystander. “If you saw what the car looked like afterwards, you would think we were all dead,� says Emma, third year.
Several people who witnessed the accident stopped to help people in both cars, and to call for help. The first ambulance arrived within minutes.
The students all suffered injuries and were taken to Community Hospital. Hannah suffered two broken ribs, Vanessa for whiplash, Jessica a bruised sternum, Tony a burn on his hand, and all were treated for various scrapes and cuts. The woman in the other car suffered a broken ankle. Though shaken, the student say that they are recovering quickly. All were discharged within hours of their arrival.
Asked how she is dealing with the aftermath, one of the student’s replied, “Pain. Drugs. Beer. Beer is really helpful, and I think it’s a lot better than taking opiates.� Vanessa’s mother came from Springfield to see her, while Jessica’s mother and brother, who live in Fairborn, visited her the next day.
“It was really surreal,� says Anthon. “I was like ‘that car’s gonna stop. That car’s not coming towards us. We had a green light, I saw it.’�
They have since interviewed and settled on a lawyer.
The students would like to thank the community for being so supportive. In particular, Emma would like to thank Vanessa and Jessica for letting her sleep in their rooms. Tony would like to thank Katie for coming to get them. Jessica would like to thank Hannah for washing her hair. Hannah would like to thank Jay for helping her get out of bed every day, and Steve Lawry for not disrupting her recuperation with any calls, emails, or get-well cards.