A Kansas University student was hospitalized with critical injuries after he fell from a retaining wall near 11th and Indiana streets early Sunday morning, the president of his fraternity said.
Sam Hedrick, a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, was taken to Kansas University Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
“We all rushed to the hospital as soon as we heard he had gotten hurt,” said Kris Nielsen, local TKE president, who was not with Hedrick at the time of the fall.
Hedrick received a concussion from the fall, Nielsen said. He was transferred to KU Hospital after first being treated at Lawrence Memorial Hospital about 1 a.m. Sunday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Nielsen said he was unsure what caused the fall and that the incident was not related to any official event hosted by the fraternity, which does not have a central house in Lawrence. He said he had been in contact with national TKE fraternity leaders and KU’s Intrafraternity Council.
“Alcohol was involved,” said Capt. Schuyler Bailey, KU Public Safety Office spokesman. Bailey said the man, whose age was not available, had not received any citations as a result of the incident.
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gsxr600 (anonymous) says…
Oh boy here we go again. He was under 21 fyi..
gsxr600 (anonymous) says…
Oh wait this smart one is still alive so I guess I can't say was.
Vinny1 (anonymous) says…
Que all the anti-drinking people who say this is KU's problem and not the kids stupidity that was the problem.
moderationman (anonymous) says…
Momma always said, "Stupid is as stupid does."
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
Gravity beats booze everytime.
Machiavelli_mania (anonymous) says…
I say, "give up the greek" and "give up the drink". Both are vices.
LarryNative (anonymous) says…
Breaking News............
"Fraternity member stubs big toe, alcohol was involved."
Calliope877 (anonymous) says…
D@mn college kids...always gettin' drunk and fallin' off stuff...
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
Hey, watch it with the Greek, that is an ethic slur, I have known many, many fine, hiccup, Greek, hiccup, men, so there!
MaryKatesPillStash (anonymous) says…
So were his parents notified?
GardenMomma (anonymous) says…
There seems to be a rash of incidences involving underage drinking lately. Wonder what the deal is.
kusp8 (anonymous) says…
Maybe he was an engineering student attempting to study the bottom of the wall and couldn't figure out how to get down there quickly?
But seriously, hope the kid's okay.
overthemoon (anonymous) says…
“We all rushed to the hospital as soon as we heard he had gotten hurt,”
I hope that this rushing was done sober. It would seem that the problem began long before the fall. Who was with this poor kid then?
oneeye_wilbur (anonymous) says…
We were always taught "humpty dumpty sat on the wall, hump;ty dumpty had a great fall".just today, made a trek down 9th street and there above Owen's Flowers was a dude sitting on the edge of the roof reading a book,
I almost thought, go back and talk to the folks in the flower shop, but thought, why bother. it's just one more idiot in the "special" city of Lawrence.
Summerguuurl007 (anonymous) says…
He's not going to make it.
KEITHMILES05 (anonymous) says…
KU is quickly becomning known as the best school to have an alcohol related accident.
classclown (Class Clown) says…
It's redundant to say alcohol was involved after already mentioning that it's a KU student.
xbusguy (chris Ogle) says…
New headline: KU student suddenly stops...after relationship with alcohol
LarryNative (anonymous) says…
Multi, the kid has a concussion. It's no big deal and not even a story worth reporting. If the kid was sober and fell, and people do have accidents like this when sober, the story would not have been reported. There is no extreme rash of KU students and alcohol related accidents, it has been going on since students started attending KU. The difference now is KU students and alcohol is a hot topic and all the bleeding heart busy bodies want to form committees and have discussions.
Graczyk (anonymous) says…
Summerguuurl007,
How do you know he's not going to make it? Other sources say he is expected to recover.
http://www.kmbc.com/news/19434006/det...
justbegintowrite (Ronda Miller) says…
I agree with multi, there are friends and family of this young man who are worried sick......it doesn't hurt to voice your opinions respectfully....
Hoping this young man has a full and speedy recovery...
Gootsie (anonymous) says…
Yes, Multi and Ronda - let's hope he's OK and that he and other young'uns learn something from this.
oneeye_wilbur (anonymous) says…
the wall in the photo is KU property, now what?
misplacedcheesehead (anonymous) says…
After all the recent tragedies at KU involving "overpartying", I would think the student body in general might start to rethink their decisions as to how much to drink, and what activities to avoid trying when you've been drinking, etc.
I do indeed hope this kid recovers. I just wish the rash of stupidity that goes along with drinking to the point of being drunk would take a break....
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
"There seems to be a rash of "reporting" incidences involving underage drinking lately. Wonder what the deal is."
Mixed that for you, Gardenmomma. And no, I unfortunately don't know what the deal is.
sarahsmilehawk (anonymous) says…
"Alcohol was involved" does not equal "overpartying." This kid is a nice guy. To answer somebody's question, his parents were not informed by KU because the incident didn't take place in a residence or scholarship hall. However, his parents obviously are aware of the incident.
oneeye_wilbur (anonymous) says…
sarahssmilehawk, if the wall in the photo is the "retaining wall" then KU plays a role in notification or are walls exempt?
audibleangel (anonymous) says…
is he alright??
GardenMomma (anonymous) says…
Oh yes, a rash of "reported" incidences. I do stand corrected. Thanks.
Summerguuurl007 (anonymous) says…
Graczek,
He won't make it. He's doomed, and good riddance.