Nov. 20--A high school athlete severely injured while running with teammates in Palatine early Thursday after being struck by a car has been upgraded to stable condition, police said.
The 18-year-old student identified by police as Ryan Kissane of Palatine was knocked to the ground and suffered severe head trauma, according to Palatine police. He was initially taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with life-threatening injuries, police said.
As of 11:45 a.m., police said the hospital attendants upgraded his condition to stable and said his injuries were no longer life-threatening.
The incident happened at 6:45 a.m., when the student was jogging, going north in the crosswalk at the intersection of Palatine and Rohlwing roads.
A 2000 Chevrolet Camaro turned left from southbound Rohlwing onto eastbound Palatine. Police said witnesses, including the runner's teammates, reported that the light was green for Rohlwing Road at the time of the crash.
The student is a member of Palatine High School's cross-country team and was running with teammates, who were not injured.
"This is an extremely unfortunate accident," said Tom Petersen, Township High School District 211 spokesman.
Police said it was a team practice, but Petersen said the runner was with six other teammates in an unofficial capacity.
"Cross-country is not in season," Petersen said.
Petersen declined to comment on the student's injuries, citing privacy concerns. He said the student's parents and the school's cross-country coach and athletic director were at the hospital.
No official announcements have been made in the school about the incident, but counselors are available for students.
"We understand through social media that most of the kids know," Petersen said.
The driver of the car, Frank Marcoux, 39, of the 200 block of North Greenwood Avenue in Palatine, was not injured.
Marcoux was ticketed for failing to yield to a pedestrian and for having an obstructed windshield that police said was due to frost.
The crash happened within 10 minutes of sunrise, so it was not dark at the time, said Palatine Police Cmdr. Michael Seebacher.
