Max
07-20-2003, 10:21 AM
Family rallies 'round Lemieux
JOHN LARRABEE , Staff Writer 07/19/2003
WOONSOCKET -- Friends here and in Georgia are rallying to help a city native critically injured in a one-car collision in Savannah.
Steven Lemieux, 30 -- remembered locally as a high school baseball star -- is in Savannah's Memorial Health University Medical Center, recovering from a number of serious injuries. Two friends were killed, and the man police believe was the driver in the July 5 accident is paralyzed from the neck down.
Lemieux suffered two collapsed lungs, a broken pelvis, a shattered elbow, and a broken vertebra in his neck, which does not appear to have resulted in spinal cord injury.
"Steven is in surprisingly good shape physically, and he's received excellent care at the hospital," says his sister, Nancy Blackmore of Scituate. "What they don't know yet is the extent of any brain damage he may have suffered.
"Steven has six siblings, and we've all been down to see him. We're all trying to get back down there again, as soon as we get everyone else in our family settled down."
His parents, Roger and Pat Lemieux of Woonsocket, have been in Savannah since shortly after the accident. He also has a four-year-son, Slade Lemieux, who lives in Alaska with his mother.
Lemieux's Georgia friends are doing their best to help the family. More than 150 people showed up for a benefit auction at Suzabelle's, the posh Savannah restaurant where he worked as a waiter part-time.
"We've raised some $7,500, and the checks are still coming in," says manager Jeffrey Collins. "The city of Savannah has been very generous. He's been at our restaurant two and a half years -- since we opened, really -- so he's almost like family to us."
In the early morning hours of July 5 Lemieux and two friends accepted a ride home from an Army ranger they'd met at a holiday cookout. While travelling into Savannah on the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge, the soldier's 2000 Ford Mustang spun out of control and hit a guardrail.
Jason Hill, 26, and Christopher Speerstra, 27, were both thrown from the car and died at the scene of the crash.
Lemieux was also ejected, but landed in the Savannah River. Friends who happened on the scene minutes later found him submerged in 18 inches of marsh water. They began CPR while waiting for rescue workers to arrive.
Shane McAloon, 28, an Army ranger stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, is also in critical condition. Because he remembers nothing about the crash, police are not certain that he was behind the wheel. Although investigators believe speed and alcohol were factors in the crash, they have not yet filed charges.
Lemieux moved to Savannah several years ago to study law enforcement at Armstrong Atlantic State University where he received a baseball scholarship. He told his family he planned to return to Woonsocket this year, after completing one last course.
With the light class load, he'd taken on two jobs, at an alarm and security company and at Suzabelle's.
"Steven is still very fit and athletic, and I'm sure that's helping him out now," says Collins. "We've heard they're weaning him off the respirator and the morphine drip."
Friends and family in Woonsocket are also planning a fundraiser, though arrangements are still up in the air. "Any donations for an event -- food, or an hour or so of band's time -- would be greatly appreciated," Blackmore says.
©The Call 2003
http://www.woonsocketcall.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9870553&BRD=1712&PAG=461&dept_id=24361&rfi=6
JOHN LARRABEE , Staff Writer 07/19/2003
WOONSOCKET -- Friends here and in Georgia are rallying to help a city native critically injured in a one-car collision in Savannah.
Steven Lemieux, 30 -- remembered locally as a high school baseball star -- is in Savannah's Memorial Health University Medical Center, recovering from a number of serious injuries. Two friends were killed, and the man police believe was the driver in the July 5 accident is paralyzed from the neck down.
Lemieux suffered two collapsed lungs, a broken pelvis, a shattered elbow, and a broken vertebra in his neck, which does not appear to have resulted in spinal cord injury.
"Steven is in surprisingly good shape physically, and he's received excellent care at the hospital," says his sister, Nancy Blackmore of Scituate. "What they don't know yet is the extent of any brain damage he may have suffered.
"Steven has six siblings, and we've all been down to see him. We're all trying to get back down there again, as soon as we get everyone else in our family settled down."
His parents, Roger and Pat Lemieux of Woonsocket, have been in Savannah since shortly after the accident. He also has a four-year-son, Slade Lemieux, who lives in Alaska with his mother.
Lemieux's Georgia friends are doing their best to help the family. More than 150 people showed up for a benefit auction at Suzabelle's, the posh Savannah restaurant where he worked as a waiter part-time.
"We've raised some $7,500, and the checks are still coming in," says manager Jeffrey Collins. "The city of Savannah has been very generous. He's been at our restaurant two and a half years -- since we opened, really -- so he's almost like family to us."
In the early morning hours of July 5 Lemieux and two friends accepted a ride home from an Army ranger they'd met at a holiday cookout. While travelling into Savannah on the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge, the soldier's 2000 Ford Mustang spun out of control and hit a guardrail.
Jason Hill, 26, and Christopher Speerstra, 27, were both thrown from the car and died at the scene of the crash.
Lemieux was also ejected, but landed in the Savannah River. Friends who happened on the scene minutes later found him submerged in 18 inches of marsh water. They began CPR while waiting for rescue workers to arrive.
Shane McAloon, 28, an Army ranger stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, is also in critical condition. Because he remembers nothing about the crash, police are not certain that he was behind the wheel. Although investigators believe speed and alcohol were factors in the crash, they have not yet filed charges.
Lemieux moved to Savannah several years ago to study law enforcement at Armstrong Atlantic State University where he received a baseball scholarship. He told his family he planned to return to Woonsocket this year, after completing one last course.
With the light class load, he'd taken on two jobs, at an alarm and security company and at Suzabelle's.
"Steven is still very fit and athletic, and I'm sure that's helping him out now," says Collins. "We've heard they're weaning him off the respirator and the morphine drip."
Friends and family in Woonsocket are also planning a fundraiser, though arrangements are still up in the air. "Any donations for an event -- food, or an hour or so of band's time -- would be greatly appreciated," Blackmore says.
©The Call 2003
http://www.woonsocketcall.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=9870553&BRD=1712&PAG=461&dept_id=24361&rfi=6