Man hit by car in Hazel Dell faces long recovery
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HAZEL DELL, Wash. – The man who was hit by an out-of-control driver in Hazel Dell earlier this week faces long odds in recovery. His doctors say they are particularly concerned about brain damage.
Joseph Reilly, 21, was walking to work along Highway 99 in Hazel Dell on Tuesday afternoon when a woman driving recklessly crashed her car and hit Reilly, according to sheriff’s deputies. The woman was killed in the crash.
Even though Reilly faces a tough path ahead, his cousin told KATU the family is thankful for all the support and well wishes they’ve received.
Reilly worked full time at Smokey’s Pizza, which is just a block from where he was hit. His family said the young man was just starting out on his own.
His doctor at Peace Health Southwest Medical Center said the fact is so young is a big help. Younger people have more resilient brains.
"The most important issue is to preserve brain function," said Dr. George Dulabon. "We've made that possible by allowing the brain to expand beyond the confines of the skull, which allows the brain to heal."
Reilly also has severely broken bones and is on a ventilator. His mother has been by his side in the hospital.
Other family members described his engaging personality.
“The creativity that comes from this kid, I’ve always envied that,” said cousin Aaron Hahn, “his musical ability, his wit, things coming off the top of his head – just a brilliant mind.”
Surveillance video from a C-Tran bus captured the crash. It shows a car speed past, swerve to the right then snap back to the left across oncoming traffic.
Investigators have not said why the driver, 20-year-old Annastasia Morrison, was driving so recklessly.
Reilly’s family has set up a donation fun to help cover the costs of his treatment. If you’d like to donate, you can stop by any TwinStar Credit Union location and ask to donate to the “Fund for Joseph M. Reilly.”
Quit arguing about it. She's dead and he's fighting for his life. I hope and pray for Reilly to recover and be able to live a somewhat normal life, but it's over and done with. There may be a huge lawsuit and the lawyers will get rich, but I hope Reilly gets a large chunk of change even though it won't come close to cover what he's going through now and will go through later.
 @Bdou There's not going to be much worth to gain in a lawsuit. I doubt that girl was independently wealthy and, driving on a suspended license, I'd be surprised if the vehicle had insurance, either. She had probably very little -- if any -- estate to sue. Lawyers may try (and may be able to win some type of award) but good luck collecting anything.
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As I understand it, Reilly doesn't drive which means he isn't covered by his own auto policy (which, I've heard, can and does sometimes step in on a pedestrian injured but who also has their own insurance policy), either. That's why I'm donating what I can to his fund. It would have been a lot more if I'd have won the Powerball.
Annastasia Morrison's boyfriend says she was a good person.
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Ahhhh, negative ghost rider, she was pond scum. She was driving while suspended at a high rate of speed and put a promising innocent bystander in the hospital fighting for his life.
@RalphCramden Not sure what your talking about??? Ihaven't posted anything concerning this story.
 @RalphCramden You should not call her pond scum on here where her shocked and innocent family will see it!  One could say she certainly was broken as a person to do this. A terrible tragedy for all concerned.
 @whirledworldÂ
What should I say? She was a nice girl put an unfortunate accident took her life prematurely?
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Her family should be agreeing with me. If it were my daughter I would be agreeing what a worthless person she was in putting this innocent hard working kid in the hospital in critical condition.
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I can face reality even though it is painful and her family should also.
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Too much denial these days.
 @whirledworldÂ
Her selfish and criminal actions due to her arrogance and irresponsibility put an innocent person in the hospital fighting for his life and in the process killed herself.
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What part of that did I make up?
 @RalphCramden What/who she WAS as a person you have no knowledge of. What she DID is horrific.  Her whole life (she was young) cannot be predicated on this one horrible event but it does put a shadow across  the memory of her life.  It is a terrbile thing that has happened, for sure. But you don't know her history or anything at all about her...only that she was driving suspended and recklessly, and she died and nearly killed another person. THAT..is all you know. So you really have no place to speak about her. Only what she did, and what happened. To do otherwise is foolish and making $h*t up.
@whirledworld @RalphCramden The loss of any life is sad. I didnt get the full history regaurding this story, was she suspended?
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 @ghost rider  @whirledworld Â
Suspended for a recent DUII.
 @whirledworld  @RalphCramden Her family has nothing to be sad about except for the world of pain and suffering this young woman's actions have caused Joseph Reilly.
 @whirledworld  @Harvey 1701 Â
Her legacy will be that she was driving at a high rate of speed, acting irresponsibility, and committed a criminal act by driving at a high rate of speed with a suspended license from a previous DUII and put an innocent person in the hospital fighting for his life.
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Stop trying to defend her. I ain't buying it and believe in holding people responsible for their actions.Â
 @Harvey 1701  @RalphCramden They have the loss of a family member ( did that go over your head?) and the horribly negligent choices she made to drive in a way injured him and killed her. Two families torn in shreds. Her life had to be more than this tragic moment in time where he was injured and she died. Anyone's is. But now it is one huge tragedy.
How horrible. Stay strong young man and heal.
So sad. I sure hope he's able to find his way back to himself. Hang in there, Kiddo.
All caused by a really stupid woman who was making really stupid decisions. It's too bad she didn't live so she could at least live with the guilt of having destroyed this young man's life. She got off easy.
 @Harvey 1701 Except her family that may never know why she did what see did - too many victims and a very, very sad story in my humble opinion...
 @boned Her family has nothing to be sad over except that she completely changed someone's life because of her selfish, reckless actions. She was driving at extremely dangerous speeds with a suspended license (suspended for what?) If this were a member of my family, we wouldn't be shedding a tear for someone like this.
 @Harvey 1701  @boned I don't believe that for a minute. What  a tough-guy  crock to spill on a thread.Â
 @whirledworld  @boned If a member of my family was stupid enough to drive with a suspended license and drive so recklessly, then, no, I would not shed a tear for him or her. My tears would be reserved for the innocent man whose life they've just destroyed.
 @Harvey 1701  @boned Really? You would not even shed a tear for one of your own family members who died and harmed someone else grievously?  What's wrong with y'all?!...the whole thing is a terrible, terrible unnecessary tragedy anyway you look at it!
This is heart wrenching. This man is so young. Our thoughts and prayers are with this young man and his family. I appreciate KATU sharing the link to allow us to donate. I wish him a speedy and full recovery. I hope the authorities can figure out what was happening with Ms. Morrison to cause this horrific tragedy.
Probably another DUII.. the most selfish humans on the face of the earth.
 @StealthActivist Could be, but they will not know until the tox-screen comes back which could take weeks, if not longer. No one should ever have to see the hundred's of dead bodies I have seen at the hands of drunk drivers. I said it once about that clown dangling from the bridge with ,50 BAC - they are out there 24/7 and nothing will stop them and that includes the latino's, russian's and white folk...
The female driver was more likely than not trying to commit suicide in my humble opinion. I saw it all the time while working Traffic Homicide in a much larger county. Why is there always an innocent victim involved might never be explained. I love Smokey's and wish this man a timely recovery...
 @boned If so, then she deserves what she got, but this young man by no means deserved what he got. What an incredibly selfish thing this girl did.
 @Harvey 1701 I totally agree, but I have my doubts she even saw him at that speed - just the means to an end with no seat-belt. I have to talk to my Traffic Homicide buddy at Clark County at some point after all is said and done and it might take a year before he can talk about squat - I can respect that...Â
My thoughts are with this man today. Minding his own business and this happens .... so sad!