Teens remain hospitalized

Published 7:41 pm Monday, April 17, 2006

Two local teens remain in intensive care units in Huntsville Hospital following separate wrecks last week.

Brittany Hastings, 15, remained in critical condition in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit, a Huntsville Hospital spokeswoman said.

Marlena Fuqua, 16, of Toney was in serious condition Monday in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, the spokeswoman said.

Hastings was injured April 10 while riding in a car with four friends on Dozier Road in Madison County. Kriston Morell, 14, was killed in the crash.

Brittany, who is home schooled, is the daughter of Charlie and Renee Hastings of Ardmore.

“She’s still on life support,” said Charlie Hastings, speaking Monday from the family waiting room of the NICU. “She’s very, very sick.”

Funds are being donated for the family at City Café, where Mrs. Hastings works, and Marvin’s Café in Ardmore.

Students have been visiting Brittany as often as possible, he said.

“About the whole town of Ardmore has turned out,” Hastings said.

Driver Ashley Chapman, 16, of Athens, and passengers Kosandra Moon, 15, and Natalia Clayton, 15, both of Ardmore, were released after being treated for injuries.

The northwest-bound car flipped several times, striking trees on the wooded roadside and landing upside down in the road, a state trooper said.

Marlena Fuqua was injured in a separate wreck Thursday night on Alabama 251, 10 miles north of Athens. According to a state trooper, she was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from a car driven by Jeremiah McKinley, 18, of Ardmore.

McKinley was also in critical condition following the wreck, but he had been moved to a regular room at Huntsville Hospital by Monday, the hospital spokeswoman said.

He is a student at Ardmore High School; Fuqua also attended Ardmore, but is now home schooled.

McKinley’s car collided with a pickup truck. The driver of the truck was not injured.

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