Collegiate Times

Virginia Tech students Amanda Tyus and Kellsye Pitsenbarger are each facing extensive recovery processes after they were hit by a motor vehicle Sept. 6.

Tyus, a human nutrition, food, and exercise major and Pitsenbarger, a human development major, were hit while walking west on Progress Street by a 2001 Honda Civic driven by Ryan Williams Wresch, a senior HNFE major.

Kellsye said that she and Tyus had first gone to Sharkey's, a North Main Street bar, where they each had a drink, before going on to PK's, a restaurant a short distance down the same road. At PK's the two had a pizza while sharing a pitcher of beer. Following that, the pair attempted to obtain a ride home from a friend, but were unable to reach them. After waiting nearly an hour to try to get in touch with their ride home, the two began to walk down North Main Street, turning on to Progress Street, where the collision occurred.

Jan Pitsenbarger, Kellsye's mother, recalled receiving the call from the hospital in the morning.

"It was a very traumatic moment for me. It's a parent's worst nightmare to get a call like that," Pitsenbarger said.

In the crash Kellsye sustained leg and head injuries, from which she's still recovering at home after being released from Montgomery Regional Hospital Sept. 8. Kellsye will wear a leg cast for the next eight weeks. On Friday, Kellsye will be fitted for a leg boot and have staples removed from her head.

The other victim in the crash, Amanda Tyus, is in stable condition.

According to a release following the crash, Tyus was thrown onto the car's hood, carrying her through a chain link fence before the car collided with a tree, bringing it to a halt.

After going to Montgomery County Hospital immediately following the crash, Tyus was transferred to Roanoke for further treatment. On Sept. 8, Tyus was transferred to MCV Hospital in Richmond, allowing her to be closer to her family in Chester, Va. Since her move to Richmond, her parents have held a constant vigil at her bedside. The accident has significantly affected both parents' work schedules.

"I didn't work at all this past week, and I won't at all this coming week as well," said Joe Tyus, Amanda Tyus' father, who works as a truck driver.

Amanda Tyus' mother works as a part of a marketing company. Both parents have taken turns staying with their daughter throughout the evening.

After being released from the hospital Sept. 15, Amanda Tyus is scheduled to return Thursday for surgery to remove an external fixator from her leg, to be replaced with a plate and screws. Following that procedure, Amanda Tyus will stay for a few days at the hospital before being sent home again.

Despite the struggles with dealing with their medical conditions, both have received a generous outpouring of support from their friends, family and community.

"It's just been wonderful. We've been overwhelmed with the amount of support we've received," Joe Tyus said.

Kellsye Pitsenbarger was grateful to the people who showed up to see her while she was in the hospital.

"I think I had the most amount of people in one hospital room ever," Kellsye Pitsenbarger said.

Kellsye Pitsenbarger was happy to see that both had made it through the collision.

"It's always scary when your best friend is in the hospital but you can't reach them because you're in the hospital too," Kellsye Pitsenbarger said.

Both Kellsye Pitsenbarger and Amanda Tyus are looking to continue their class work online to keep up with their classmates. They have been contacted by university officials about their options for keeping up with their schoolwork.

"We've talked with the Dean of Students, and Tech has said they'll work with her in any way possible to keep up with her work," Joe Tyus said.

The driver of the automobile that hit Tyus and Pitsenbarger, Ryan William Wresch, was charged at the time of the crash with driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. The Cold Springs, N.Y. native and his passenger at the time, who has yet to be named, were both uninjured in the crash.

Despite the circumstances of the collision, Joe Tyus empathized with Wresch.

"Twenty-year-olds are going to make stupid mistakes," Tyus said. "I was 20 years old once, and I've made some stupid decisions ... but I never hit anyone with my car."

An e-mail and multiple calls to Wresch asking for comment were not returned to the Collegiate Times.