A Greenwood college student severely injured in a hit-and-run returned to his Greenwood home from the Memphis Regional One Health hospital Thursday night, family members said.
“We are amazed at his progress,” said Libby Lubas Walker, Carter Kimes’ grandmother. “There are no words to tell you how strong he has been.”
Kimes, a 19-year-old Mississippi State University student and 2016 Pillow Academy graduate, was hit by a car while walking across a Memphis street in the early hours of July 23.
Kimes was with a group of friends in Memphis that weekend for a Redbirds minor-league baseball game and was hanging out downtown. His mother, Darla, said he’d called Uber for a ride to his hotel, a Holiday Inn, but was taken to the wrong hotel. That was when he began walking to the right location.
Kimes will be in home care for a while. The family has prepared the residence for his return and has provided all the materials needed, including a hospital bed. He will be using a wheelchair until his injuries have been repaired, and then he will begin physical therapy, Walker said.
Memphis police have not responded to requests for information about the accident.
Kimes has had surgery to repair his aorta and to repair an open compound fracture to his tibia and fibula on one leg, and he faces a minimum of two more surgeries, Walker said.
“He will still need surgery on both of his knees, a meniscus and ligament surgery, but this will not happen until his legs have further healed,” Walker said.
Walker said his other injuries include three broken ribs and a broken collarbone, which have not been addressed yet, and he is wearing a brace to keep his neck stabilized.
“These injuries are still painful, but he is handling it very well,” Walker said.
The Kimes family has been coping with the situation, and his mother has only been home one night since the accident. His sister, Walker, a senior at University of Mississippi Medical Center, has not left her brother’s side, Libby Lubas Walker said.
“We are doing great, and we are so happy that he has gotten excellent care,” she said. “Like his mother said, ‘God had his hand on him from the moment of impact.’ We are incredibly thankful for all of the blessings that we have had come our way.”
As of Thursday, Kimes was not scheduled to return for the fall semester at MSU, but the family is considering having him take online classes after they were contacted by his fraternity adviser.
“He wants to go back, and he is so ready,” Walker said.
The Kimes family expressed appreciation for the overwhelming love, support and prayers from the community.
•Contact Lauren Randall at 581-7239 or lrandall@gwcommonwealth.com.
