A 27-year-old Fort Lewis College student suffered severe injuries during a car crash Feb. 22 on U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango.
Dimitri Arthur was the passenger in a Subaru Forester when his driver turned left out of the Hemosa Speedway gas station and was struck by a 66-year-old women driving a Cadillac XTR southbound on Highway 550. She suffered moderate injuries.
Originally, reports from the Colorado State Patrol indicated only minor injuries resulted from the crash. But Arthur’s brother, Timothy, said Dimitri was airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction because of a severe fracture to one side of his head and face as a result of the crash.
On Monday, Colorado State Trooper Gabriel Moltrer said the 23-year-old female driver of the Subaru suffered moderate injuries from the crash as well.
“Alcohol and drugs are not suspected. And at this time excessive speed is not suspected,” Moltrer said.
Moltrer said both vehicles collided head-on. The Cadillac sustained significant damage to its front side.
Moltrer said both drivers were wearing seat belts and Arthur’s restraint is listed as unknown at this time.
Dimitri’s injuries required neurosurgery upon arrival at St. Mary’s.
After the surgery on Feb. 22, Dimitri entered a medically induced coma for nearly 48 hours. Doctors lessened the sedative on Feb. 24, and Dimitri started regaining consciousness and was able to regain some bodily functions.
“He was able to move and stuff, which was just a really good sign for everybody. But he didn't start being real responsive and able to open his eyes fully and give us a nod and thumbs-up, until about (Feb. 28),” Timothy said.
Timothy and the rest of the family remain optimistic about Dimitri’s progress. Timothy said it is unclear whether Dimitri suffered a brain injury.
Dimitri has been using a breathing tube, but doctors are slowly taking him off the device and he is making a gradual return to breathing on his own.
“It's just a really unfortunate thing, you know, and it's just one of those life-changing things that you're just like, it's never going to happen to you, and then it happens,” Timothy said.
Dimitri is pursuing a bachelor of science degree with a major in exercise physiology at FLC. Dimitri also works at one of the Gardenswartz Sporting Goods locations on Main Avenue and served in the U.S. Navy as a corpsman.
Dimitri’s family started a GoFundMe page to help pay for his medical costs.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
