College senior injured after being hit by car

College senior Thomas Heller is recovering from injuries sustained when he was hit by a taxicab while riding his bicycle on Sansom Street earlier this month. Heller fractured his pelvis and will be on crutches for six weeks. Heller was on his way home, between 39th and 40th streets, at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 10, when he saw a taxi approaching him. "I tried to stop, but my brakes weren't working very well because the road was wet," Heller said Friday. "I think I hit the side of the car and was basically thrown off of my bike." According to Heller, there were two witnesses at the scene who may have caused the cab driver to stop after the accident. "He gave me his name but at that point I was on the ground and it was raining and I was waiting for the ambulance to come," he said. "I assumed that the witnesses and the police would take responsibility for getting his name." Heller was brought to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "I was brought in and didn't know exactly what had happened and where my injuries were," he said. "I waited for more than a hour. The nurses couldn't do anything because the doctor had to see me first." Heller was told that he had a fractured pelvis and that it would have to heal by itself. He received physical therapy to learn how to get around using crutches. Heller has been at home in New Jersey since the accident. He returned to the University last Thursday to take a midterm but does not plan to attend classes until after Thanksgiving. Heller says his absence from classes will inevitably affect his grades. "I'm hoping my teachers are going to be pretty understanding," he said. "I know that I'm probably not going to do as well this semester because of the injury." Heller plans to utilize services provided by the University to get to classes while he is recovering from his injuries. However, Heller has not had any contact with representatives of the University since his visit to the Emergency Room. "The head of Student Health Services said she would check up on me," Heller said. "But I haven't heard from her yet." Heller plans to look at the police report, which will be available this week. He hopes to locate the taxi driver and receive compensation to help pay for his medical bills. Heller recognizes that his injuries from the accident could have been a lot worse. "I was really lucky because I wasn't wearing a bike helmet," he said. "I definitely plan to wear a helmet after this. I don't see too many Penn students wearing helmets." Earlier this month, College freshman Jae Lee was hit by a car at the intersection of 34th and Walnut streets. After undergoing brain surgery, he is recovering at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.