Here's what happened:
Hannah and my mom were in Bakersfield, California for a Redlands East Valley High School band competition. After the competition, the whole band went to a place called Jon's Incredible Pizza to have a big party from 11pm to 2am. Ms Glass, the band director, did everything right: there were probably 40 adult chaperones present, and the kids were actually "locked in" at the restaurant. They'd rented out the whole place, so it was just band members and chaperones inside, and the kids had to be "cleared" to leave. That is my understanding. I think Ms. Glass took every precaution.
So at about 1:00am, my mom went back to the hotel to go to sleep. Around 2:00am, the band started coming home to the Clarion hotel across the street. When they got to the intersection, the chaperones started taking the kids across the street in smaller groups. The intersection had a signal light and a crosswalk.
This is a map of the accident location. The kids were crossing the street after having a party at Jon's Incredible Pizza. They were heading toward the Clarion.
A band member named Julia told us that she was walking about 5 feet in front of Hannah, and that she (Julia) had just stepped onto the curb (after finishing crossing the street) when she heard screeching brakes and a big thump. Then she turned and saw the car drive away. So Hannah and Zach were almost done crossing. The person who hit them was running a red light (which had been red for quite a while). Other band kids said that Hannah was launched from the impact.
From what I understand, Zach (who later received 80 stitches on his head) got up immediately and stumbled around in shock and confusion before sitting on the curb.
Conrad & Sally Lucero were with Hannah within seconds, and so was Tracey (a nurse). In the next minute, Ms. Lucero had run to the Clarion to call my mom from the lobby.
When my mom got the call, she was told to come to the Lobby, because there had been an accident. Mom says she didn't really understand what "accident" meant. She initially thought it was some sort of accident in the lobby--like someone falling down stairs, or tripping. She'd fallen asleep in her clothes, so she was out of the room in seconds. When the elevator doors opened after reaching the lobby, my mom saw the entire band holding hands in a circle, praying. (Se cries every time she talks about that, now). That's when she knew it was bigger than shed first thought, and that it was Hannah who was involved.
Mom says that someone (a man) put a coat on her (it was pouring rain outside). Thank you to whoever that was.
Ms. Lucero took her arm and led her outside, and talked to her the whole way to the intersection, prepping her for what she'd see when she got there. Thank you Ms. Lucero, for being there for my mom in that awful moment. Mom said she (my mom) must've kicked into adrenaline mode. When they reached the intersection, Hannah was lying in the street. The ambulance had just arrived, and the EMTs were cutting Hannah's clothes off. Hannah was fighting them big time (which is apparently very common with head trauma), so my mom kept saying, "Hannah, you gotta let them do this. Let the EMTs help you."
The road is four lanes on either side. At 2am, my mom said it wasn't very busy. It was raining.
The EMTs loaded Hannah into the ambulance, and my mom said, "Hey! Can I come in the ambulance?!?"
The EMT guy yelled, "Get in!"
Mom turned to Ms. Lucero and said, "Please bring my stuff." and then jumped into the ambulance (passenger seat, not the back) and they shut the doors.
Driving to the hospital, mom said that she could hear Hannah fighting them on everything (there was a little window, which was open, between the driver area and the back. Mom was trying to call out comforting things to Hannah, but doesn't know if Hannah heard/understood her at that point.
They arrived at Kern County Hospital, and a team of people were waiting for them. My mom watched for about 30 minutes, then asked for a phone to call my dad (she didn't have anything with her -- no cell phone). After two unsuccessful tries on the house phone, she called Rachel's cell phone (who ALWAYS picks up), and Rachel ran down and woke my dad. They started calling the rest of us at around 6:00am.
Hannah was transfered to Loma Linda Hospital in an ambulance later that same morning/afternoon. She was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, until they told her last night (Monday night) that she was stable enough to be moved to Basic Care.
Hannah has a skull fracture that runs from the top of her head to just below/behind her right earlobe. She was leaking CSF behind her ear, but the Loma Linda Pediatric Neurologist handled it. (My mom was the one who saw the area and asked about it, and then the neurologist was called in immediately.) He found a piece of glass embedded under the skin, and stitched up the area. It's under control now.
Her skull fracture has set itself naturally. Normally, if an entire section of the skull is dislodged, they staple it into place. But because Hannah's skull is still intact all around the fracture, she won't have to have staples, and the skull can heal just how it is.
She had some bleeding on the brain, and some air beneath the fracture, but both were to a small enough degree that the doctors didn't feel it was a danger to her.
Her tibia on her right leg was snapped in half. (That's where they think the car initially struck her.) At first, the doctors thought she may have to have surgery to put in a metal plate on the tibia, but they decided they could just set the bone. They set it Monday morning, and said that Hannah was very tough during that process. They gave her a lot of morphine for the pain.
She has a bruised lung, but no bleeding. That will heal on its own. They're giving her antibiotics to fight off infection.
Probably the scariest part visually was her face: HUGE gashes in the soft tissue of her face. Very gorey, and very deep. My dad was a MESS about that, but he's doing much better. Brother Andreason from church, a plastic surgeon, was EXTREMELY helpful in choosing the surgeon for the job. My parents are very grateful to him. The reconstruction surgery occurred Sunday night. Hannah has 300+ stitches in her face. It looks much better now. She looks just like Hannah.
We've all been able to visit with her, but she is sedated and sleeping most of the time, and when she is awake, she is completely exhausted (too tired to open her eyes or speak), nauseated and dizzy.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts, well wishes, prayers, meals and helpfullness. My parents are very grateful. We are ALL very grateful.
