INSIDE

Crash victim making steady progress

By Meg Olson

Kristina Hammer, local high school student and fire cadet, is at home starting the long road to recovery after a tragic car crash on Interstate 5 in February.

“She’s got a long recuperative period ahead,” said Point Roberts fire chief Bill Skinner. “We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her back.”

Hammer’s aunt Debbie Nissen, the manager of the local Banner Bank, received so many inquiries from community members about how they could help the young woman she started a bank account where donations can be made to help with long-term recovery costs.

“So many people were asking what they could do to help besides flowers,” said Hammer’s mother Kim. The family is grateful the community is helping to prepare for what could be a long-term recovery, she said. “She’s doing amazingly well, yet there are bound to be some challenges.” As her daughter heals physically she is also dealing with the emotional effects of an accident that claimed the lives of two of her close friends. “One of our biggest challenges is to make sure she always has proper support in that aspect once initial physical recovery is taken care of,” Kim Hammer said.

On February 28 Kristina Hammer was driving three of her friends home from a basketball game in a 2004 Subaru Impreza belonging to another passenger. She collided with another northbound vehicle which pulled into the left lane as she was passing. The Impreza spun across the median and was hit by a southbound pickup truck. Kailey Walter and Brittney Armstrong were pronounced dead at the scene and Hammer, the other passenger in her car Denise Hackett and the driver of the pickup truck were hospitalized with serious injuries. Kim Hammer said her daughter is still recovering from a broken pelvis, will not be able to walk for a month or more and faces extensive physical therapy.

All parties were wearing seatbelts and alcohol was not a factor in the crash. The state patrol, however, are still investigating.