Accident victims recovering

Post-baccalaureate student Adam Zion was still listed in critical condition last night after being struck by two cars last Wednesday, according to Hospital of University of Pennsylvania Administrator Kathleen Beer. However, the other three students involved in recent accidents with moving vehicles are rapidly recovering. College freshman Jae Lee -- who was struck by a car on November 6 at the intersection of 34th and Walnut streets -- was transferred from HUP to the Bryn Mawr Hospital for rehabilitation last Friday morning, according to his friend, College freshman Jung Kang. Lee began eating solid foods again last week after a decrease in the swelling. This swelling associated with the respirator that assisted him during the first days following the accident, Kang said. "A couple days before he left he did eat some food," she said. "He's not talking with his normal voice -- he's still whispering." Kang added that because Lee's speech has also been affected by the swelling, he worked with a speech therapist at HUP to regain his normal voice. Wharton sophomore Sang Kim said that Lee is hoping to come back to the University next semester. He said Lee is expected to go to his home in Lansdale after one or two weeks of rehabilitation. He added that Lee's progress is amazing everyone. "Everything is healing faster than they expected," Kim said. "They didn't expect him to do this well this soon. Everything is moving at a fast rate." College senior Thomas Heller -- who fractured his pelvis when he was struck by a taxicab on Sansom Street early on the morning of November 10 -- said he is healing quickly. "I'm hoping I'll be off crutches in about two weeks," he said yesterday. Heller added that he is able to walk extremely short distances without the aid of his crutches. Heller's parents are pursuing the driver of the taxicab involved in the accident, he added. "I was able to get the name of the cab driver from someone who was at the scene of the accident," Heller said. "My parents are looking into it." Heller said that on weekdays he is able to get around fairly easily with the assistance of the Handy Van. However, he said that weekends are difficult without the services of the van. "The Handy Van doesn't run on the weekends," he said. "To get on campus on the weekends I've had to call Campus Police." Heller said he feels the University -- in lieu of the recent increase in accidents involving students -- must look into options for improving traffic problems on campus. "The University has got to figure out some way to regulate the traffic on Walnut Street," he said. "There has to be some way. "I think that it is a big problem," Heller added. "The last month has definitely illustrated that." Wharton senior and men's track team hurdler Mark Pan was struck by a University truck on the sidewalk in front of Bennett Hall on November 21. He said he is also recovering from his injuries. "I got off crutches a few days ago," Pan said late last week. "I've been wearing a knee brace and going to therapy like mad." He said an orthopedic specialist and an athletic trainer are aiding his recovery. Pan said that he is not yet sure as to the extent of the injuries to his knee. "There are no ligament tears but there was a pretty bad sprain in one of my ligaments and another ligament had been aggravated," he said. "I won't know about cartilage damage until next Tuesday." If there is cartilage damage, Pan said that he will need to undergo surgery to correct the damage. He added that he has been receiving some legal advice but has not made any decisions regarding pursuing the parties involved in the accident. Pan said he recognizes the importance of greater safety awareness for both pedestrians and drivers. "There is a degree of recklessness in the way that some people drive in the city and I think that a lot of pedestrians don't always take that fully into account," he said. "I think that it is definitely a mutual responsibility between motorists and pedestrians." Pan is making progress in his recovery, he said. "Two or three days ago I was able to get on a bike," Pan said. "Biking might be a way for me to keep myself in shape." The all-Ivy hurdler is hoping that he will be able to return to the track soon. "I am itching to get back into competition and so is the team," he said. "I want to get back for myself and I want to get back for the team."

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