News

Female pedestrian in stable condition, remains hospitalized

Elizabeth Ramos, a Cal State Long Beach senior nutrition major, is currently in stable condition at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach after having been involved in a car accident on Monday afternoon, according to her father Vincent Ramos.

Elizabeth Ramos was hit by a car while taking a jog on Bellflower Boulevard on Monday at approximately 2 p.m., according to LBPD Public Information Officer Nancy Pratt. LBPD Public Information Officer Marlene Arrona said Elizabeth Ramos was crossing a marked crosswalk when Ali Vahdatiasl, a 78-year-old driver in a 2003 Honda Civic, ran a red light.

Elizabeth Ramos is on oxygen support and will be for at least a week, Vincent Ramos said. Her left leg and arm are broken, and her right side is heavily bruised.

According to her father, she has no brain damage.

St. Mary Medical Center doctors have Elizabeth Ramos sedated and unconscious so her injuries can properly heal, Vincent Ramos said. She can hear when her father and mother, Lydia Ramos, talk to her, but she can’t respond.

Vincent Ramos said that he and his wife were shocked when they first saw their daughter at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

“It was one of the worst things a parent would want to see,” he said. “I thought to myself, maybe this is all a dream, but it’s not. It’s reality.”

Friends of Elizabeth Ramos called her mother on Monday because they were concerned when she didn’t show up to her class and wasn’t at home when they stopped by, Vincent Ramos said.

Later, another friend saw an article about a woman being hit by a car and thought it might be Elizabeth Ramos. Vincent and Lydia Ramos called the Long Beach Police Department, who told them the victim could be their daughter. Her parents were able to identify her on Tuesday afternoon at St. Mary Medical Center.

Several of Elizabeth Ramos’ friends were also at the hospital when her parents arrived but were unable to identify her because she was so swollen, according to her father. He said that it took so long for others to recognize Elizabeth Ramos because she had no identification on her when the accident occurred, even though she normally wears a bracelet with her name on it when she goes running.

Elizabeth Ramos was a member of the Long Beach State women’s track and field/cross country team for the last three years.

Andy Sythe head coach of Long Beach State track and field/cross country team said that Elizabeth Ramos is an outstanding student and a great teammate and friend to a lot of the runners on the team.

“We have been through a lot of tragedy, and we’re hoping that things turn out alright on this one,” Sythe said.

Sythe said he recommends that runners take precautions like looking both ways and having identification on them while jogging on busy streets.

Elizabeth Ramos was also an intern at St. Mary Medical Center before the accident, according to her father.

Elizabeth Ramos will be in the hospital for at least a month. It is currently unknown how long it will take for her to fully recover or when she can return to school, Vincent Ramos said.

Associate Vice President of Public Affairs at CSULB Terri Carbawth said that the university will not comment on further details of the accident.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim and the family,” Carbawth said. “We are very grateful that we received responses from our inquiry that helped to identify her.”
 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Daily 49er newsletter

Instagram