Former BJ reporter hurt in cycle crash

Report from Jim Kavanagh
Former ABJ metro reporter Oren Dorell, now at USA Today, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident last week. Please remember Oren in your prayers. His wife, former ABJ copy editor Ginny Knapp, posted this note on Facebook:

It's been a long few days, but I wanted to try to get out the basic information to anyone who has not yet heard:

Oren had a motorcycle accident on Wednesday afternoon on the way to work. He was almost there, and a woman pulled out in front of him to turn left and hit him.

He is at Inova Fairfax County Hospital in Falls Church, Va. He has 4 broken vertebrae in his back, but no spinal cord damage, so he is able to move his feet, legs and arms and has all his feeling. He has compound fractures of his right wrist and elbow, which he has had emergency surgery on to install a "fixator" that holds them in place.

He will have an additional surgery on his right elbow early next week and hopefully also begin physical therapy so he can walk around. Yesterday he was fitted for a back brace and neck collar, so he was able to sit up and eat this morning for the first time since Wednesday.

I'm sorry if I haven't had a chance to call or email all, but we're still dealing with the inital stages of the accident. There is going to be a long period of physical therapy and recuperation. I appreciate all your thoughts and well-wishes.