Seniors recuperate after minivan impact

By Priya Raman
Monday, December 19, 2005

Sonya Bonnin ’06 and Joseph Fahrendorf ’06 are recovering from injuries sustained after being struck by a minivan late Thursday night on Park Street, but Bonnin remained hospitalized Sunday.

The students were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital after being hit by a green Dodge Caravan, which skidded through the intersection of Park Street and Edgewood Avenue. The car struck Fahrendorf and pinned Bonnin against a railing near the entrance to Pierson College, injuring Bonnin’s legs, Fahrendorf said.

New Haven Police officer Craig Dixon said icy road conditions caused the vehicle to slide through the intersection and into the pedestrians. The driver of the privately owned minivan remained at the scene of the accident, Yale Police Department Lt. Michael Patten said.

Fahrendorf, who sustained several bruises and a concussion, was released from the hospital on Friday, but he said Bonnin took the brunt of the impact.

“We were both walking on the sidewalk, but she was closer to the street,” Fahrendorf said. “She was hit harder.”

Although he said he cannot remember all the details surrounding the incident, Fahrendorf said Bonnin lost a significant amount of blood. Still, he said he is confident that Bonnin will recover from her injuries.

“She’s tough and she’s a fighter,” he said. “I know that she can get through this.”

Pierson Dean Amerigo Fabbri said Saturday in an e-mail to the Pierson community that Bonnin is scheduled for “a second surgery” Sunday, but did not provide further details regarding her condition.

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