Rachel Stump, the first-year Ohio State student who was struck by a car near campus last week, is improving.
Stump, a Troy, Ohio, native, was in a coma and critical condition days after the Aug. 19 accident, but her dad, Matt Stump, told The Lantern that she woke up from her coma Wednesday or Thursday of last week. He also said that doctors at the Wexner Medical Center decreased her pain medication dosage and removed her breathing tube Monday morning.
“When they pulled her tube she was able to open her eyes, throwing her head a little bit responding,” Matt Stump said. “She knows her name.”
He said that Rachel Stump does not remember what happened to her or the events that lead to the accident.
“She can kind of squeak out, ‘Rachel,'” Matt Stump said. “It’ll be a long time before she has a conversation, she was able to say her name was Rachel. She doesn’t know where she’s at or what happened.”
The driver, also an OSU student, was driving southbound through a green light on North High Street near Chittenden Avenue when the vehicle hit Rachel Stump, according to a Columbus Division of Police report. The report said she was crossing the street without using the crosswalk.
The driver’s blood alcohol content when Rachel Stump was hit was 0.19, which is more than double the legal limit. The driver did not respond to multiple emails from The Lantern. Rachel Stump’s blood alcohol content was not tested at the scene.
The Lantern will not name the driver since drunken driving charges are still pending.
Matt Stump said he understands how something like this could happen.
“I don’t know what anybody’s blood alcohol was,” Matt Stump said. “But it was move-in weekend on campus. I can certainly see what the weekend’s about. I’m sure Rachel was having a good time and this guy was having a good time.”
Rachel Stump was given a citation for pedestrian in the roadway, according to the report
“The driver was cited and it was forwarded to the grand jury for indictment,” said Columbus Police Sgt. Richard Weiner last week. “If she would take a turn for the worse, then additional charges could be filed at a later date.
The Lantern was unable to acquire records Tuesday with updates of the driver’s charges.
Rachel Hudson, who the police report lists as a witness, said Rachel Stump was unconscious but still breathing after she was hit. She was then taken to the Wexner Medical Center where she was treated for “multiple facial fractures, lacerations and bleeding in the brain,” according to the police report.
Those closest to Stump were shocked when they heard of the accident.
“When I originally heard the news, it sounded bad and we really didn’t think that she was going to make it, but now there’s a lot of hope,” said Riley Isley, a first-year in biochemistry and longtime friend of Rachel Stump’s last week. “We’ve been planning on coming to Ohio State together and we were just going to take on the city together, so it’s kind of weird now to be here without her.”
Rachel Stump was a member of the Troy High School honor roll during the first marking period of her senior year, according to the Troy Daily News. She was also a varsity football cheerleader.
Matt Stump said that although it hasn’t been easy, his family has grown closer because of the accident.
“We’re ok,” Matt Stump said. “We’ve really bonded together with her support. We’re doing a lot of fundraising locally for her recovery. We’ve basically secured her loans and scholarships.”
Matt Stump said that his daughter’s condition is improving, and is hopeful about her recovery.
“I don’t think (doctors) are ever 100 (percent) positive,” Matt Stump said. “They are expecting great things from her, given what they’ve seen.”