Sean C. Morgan
The man hospitalized after being struck by a motor vehicle last month is out of a coma but still faces serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.
Kenneth Pace, 61, of Sweet Home has been moved out of Oregon Health Sciences University to a long-term care facility, his brother Steve Pace said. Kenneth Pace has undergone facial reconstruction, and now doctors are waiting to see what kind of brain function he has.
“It’s basically a wait-and-hold pattern,” Steve Pace said.
Kenneth Pace was struck by a westbound 2007 Saturn SUV while crossing Highway 20 in a poorly lit area between the Buzz’d coffee stand and Heritage Northwest, 600 block of Highway 20, at about 5:10 p.m. on Dec. 7.
Neither the 84-year-old Lebanon driver nor passenger were injured.
No citations were issued.
Kenneth Pace suffered broken bones, including every major bone in his face and fractures in his back, Steve Pace said. His lower left leg and ankle were shattered and surgery is planned to repair them.
He was transported by ambulance to Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital, said Steve Pace. From there he was taken by air ambulance to Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis and then to OHSU in Portland.
Who will pay for the medical expenses is uncertain right now, Steve Pace said. Different insurance companies have not settled the question yet.
The conclusion in the police report, which hasn’t been completed yet, is uncertain, he said. “We think he was in the median.”
It was a wet, dark night, Steve Pace said, and he asks that any witnesses contact him at (541) 409-0127, or the police, (541) 367-5181.
In the short term, the family is in a pretty good financial position and can handle related expenses, Steve Pace said.
He asks for “just prayers. Prayers will do wonders.”