Katrina Smiley
RIVERSIDE — Life can change in an instance, and for Katrina Smiley life changed on April 2.
Katrina, 17, a junior at Stebbins High School, was involved in a car accident and suffered pelvic fractures and a torn aorta, both of which required surgery.
Her mother, Candie Smiley, said Katrina was at a stop sign turning left from Doolittle Drive onto Airway Road. An RTA bus was dropping off passengers and obstructed the sight of both drivers. Katrina was released from the intensive care unit April 6, but remains at Miami Valley Hospital.
“She will need physical therapy and should be able to walk in three months,” Candie said.
Drew Hilgeford owns Airway Dairy Queen, located at 4812 Airway Road, where Katrina has worked since June 2009. Hilgeford is hosting a fundraiser on April 15. Ten percent of the day’s sales will be donated to Smiley’s family.
“Emotions were high here. We wanted to do something, so we decided on a fundraiser,” Hilgeford said.
Hilgeford contacted the Mad River School District, to help spread word of the fundraiser among the students.
At Stebbins, Katrina takes advance placement classes and is a member of Business Professionals of America. She placed first in administrative support at a BPA regional competition, and also placed fifth in a state competition.
Katrina’s family, her father, Chris, and sister, Brittany, who is a freshman at Stebbins, plan to attend the fundraiser. Hilgeford noted more help may be needed in the future when the family has a better idea of their needs.
“I wanted to do what I can in these tough economic times,” he said. “We’re a team here. My employees are very important to me. We have to stay close and support each other.”
Katrina enjoys Pilates and reads in her spare time. She hopes to study marketing or psychology in college.
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