Lee University students get care after being hit by van

photo Shashank Srestha
photo Danielle Carter
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Crash site

Crash site

A Lee University student and a recent graduate of the college are recovering at Erlanger after they were hit by a van while crossing a campus street.

Shashank Shrestha, 22, and Danielle Carter, 20, were crossing Parker Street around 11:30 p.m. Saturday when a van traveling south at 30 mph hit them, Lee University spokesman Jerome Hammond said.

Carter was thrown and suffered severe head injuries. Shrestha suffered a cracked pelvis and a gash to his head. Both were knocked unconscious, Hammond said.

They originally were listed in critical condition but had been upgraded to stable Sunday evening.

The van driver, Thomas Creek, 48, was charged with driving on a suspended license, said Officer Evie West, police spokeswoman.

Creek was released on a $500 bond Sunday, according to the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.

West said investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine if they will press additional charges. West said that process could take several weeks.

Carter is a psychology major, and Shrestha graduated from Lee earlier this spring, Hammond said.

Classes at the college resume Wednesday, but Hammond said dozens of Lee students and staff members gathered at the hospital to check on Carter and Shrestha's condition. "It's a terrible thing to happen, but it's illustrative of what it's like to go to Lee. It's a very close-knit family," he said.

Hammond said Parker Street is well-lit and straight, but he said that the pair was not at a pedestrian crossing.

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