Days after sustaining serious hip injuries in an accident in front of Durfee Hall, Kaila Queen ’07 has been transferred from Yale-New Haven Hospital to University Health Services and is expected to make a full recovery.
Queen, a senior in Jonathan Edwards College, was transported by ambulance to the hospital after being struck by a motorist while crossing the intersection of Elm and High streets early Saturday morning. New Haven Police Department spokeswoman Bonnie Winchester said the NHPD officers who responded to the 911 call have yet to file a formal report on the incident and could not elaborate on the specific circumstances that led to the accident.
“To be honest, I can’t remember exactly what happened,” Queen said. “I remember seeing the ‘Walk’ signal, but I don’t remember being hit by the car. When I woke up, I was lying by the post office.”
The accident, Queen said, was not a hit and run. She said the driver of the vehicle that struck her placed a 911 call after the accident and remained with her until the ambulance arrived.
After she was transported to the hospital, Queen said, doctors surgically inserted two pins into her hip to help repair some of the damage the accident caused.
“I have a few pins in my hip, and I have to wear an external pelvic cast,” she said. “But doctors say that within a few months I should be able to resume life as normal.”
Until then, Queen said it is likely that she will need some help managing classes. Although she was discharged from the hospital Sunday night, she said she will have to remain at UHS for several weeks until she can regain enough strength to resume life in the dorms.
A New Jersey native, Queen said she is overwhelmed by the amount of support she has received from her family and members of the Yale community. In the days since the accident, she said, friends have been showering her with flowers and gifts.
JE Associate Master Sondra Haller, who spent Saturday night with Queen at the hospital, said she was impressed with the resilience and optimism Queen has shown.
“She’s a strong person, and we’re very grateful she’s doing this well,” Haller said.
JE Master Gary Haller was unavailable for comment.
Saturday’s accident was the first pedestrian accident this fall that left a Yale student seriously injured. Alexander Capelluto ’08, a rising junior in Berkeley College, died in May after he was hit by a truck while biking to campus from the Gilder Boathouse in Derby, Conn.