A fundraiser has been started for a student who won’t be able to walk for months after he was struck by his instructor’s car and seriously injured at the McHenry County College in Crystal Lake.
The McHenry County College Police Department and Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded around 1:58 p.m. Sunday to the McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake, for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.
An instructor of a motorcycle class was driving his personal Jeep in the parking lot of the college after class when he “hit the gas,” which sent several pedestrians running, according to a family member of the victim.
The family member told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that their nephew, who is a student of the instructor, was not able to get out of the way in time and was struck by the Jeep.
The collision caused the male victim, identified as Crystal Lake resident Tyler Tomasello, to become pinned between the Jeep that hit him and a parked Ford Ranger.
Firefighters arrived to find the man had been freed from the two vehicles and was lying on the ground.
Paramedics transported Tomasello to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Woodstock.
A LifeNet medical helicopter was called to the helipad at the hospital and Tomasello was transferred from the ambulance to the helicopter.
The helicopter then flew the man to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, which is a level one trauma center.
A GoFundMe, created by family friend Lucy Lee, of Crystal Lake, has raised over $2,600 in one day.
Lee called the incident a “freak accident” and said Tomasello’s pelvis was crushed. “His sit bones are both broke, inferior and superior ramus, and his sacrum. No fractures…all breaks.”
Tomasello underwent surgery on Thursday, which went well, Lee said, adding that he has a long road ahead with physical therapy.
“Good news is the doctor feels very good about Tyler’s future. He estimated another 12 weeks at least until he walks again on his own,” Lee said.
Lee added that the GoFundMe money will go to Tomasello’s mother, Carrie Ann, to help cover travel, hotel and food expenses, along with medical expenses not covered by insurance.