Caitlin Donnelly, Trinity '06, is recovering well after sustaining critically injuries in a Sept. 29, 2006, hit-and-run incident, Donnelly and her parents said.
She said her physical therapy and social life are keeping her busy and that she hopes to eventually return to her film production job in Los Angeles or perhaps attend law school.
The accident occurred during Homecoming Weekend when Donnelly, a former Chronicle staff member, was crossing South LaSalle Street near the Belmont apartments to check if her taxi had arrived. As she turned back to cross the road again, she was struck by a 1988 Honda Accord.
Donnelly suffered injuries including severe head injuries-facial and skull fractures-and spinal fractures.
At the time of the accident, doctors did not expect her to survive, said her mother, Ellen Donnelly.
"[Caitlin is] still a miracle," her mother said. "It's her very determined goal to recover fully."
Donnelly began physical, speech and occupational therapies in late October at Duke Hospital. In November, she returned home to New Jersey, where she currently participates in a daily physical therapy regime at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.
Her mother wrote in an e-mail that her daughter is currently walking with a cast on her right leg, but the cast is scheduled to be removed within a few weeks.
The investigation of the hit-and-run case, however, has shown no progress. A week after the incident, a sheriff's deputy found the hit-and-run car in the Duke Manor apartment complex parking lot-less than half a mile from the scene of the accident. The owner of the car was identified and questioned, but said he was out of town at the time of the incident. No arrests have been made in connection with the crime.
"We are not at all satisfied with the way the Durham Police Department handled this situation," said Brian Donnelly, Caitlin's father.
He said that although a witness has said the vehicle had no lights on and she was less than a foot from the taxi, Goodwin claims the vehicle had its lights on and she was much further across the lane.
Goodwin was not available for comment.
Although Caitlin Donnelly has a generally positive outlook to her recovery, she said she wishes the police would catch the driver of the car.
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