CHP seeking witnesses in Kate Donahue possible hit-and-run bicycle accident—Learn how to donate to Kate’s recovery

  • [photo by Mel Weinstein]

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    [photo by Mel Weinstein]

  • This photo, taken shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday, July 12 is emergency responders preparing Kate Donahue to go to the hospital. She was riding a bicycle on Frazier Mountain Park Road and reportedly hit by a motorist, though that has not been confirmed with CHP as of Sunday, July  14. [Gary Meyer photo]

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    This photo, taken shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday, July 12 is emergency responders preparing Kate Donahue to go to the hospital. She was riding a bicycle on Frazier Mountain Park Road and reportedly hit by a motorist, though that has not been confirmed with CHP as of Sunday, July 14. [Gary Meyer photo]

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Thursday, July 25, 2019 at  4 p.m.)—Kate Donahue has been moved from the Intensive Care Unit at Kern Medical to an observation area. She is still “wired” with monitors and accessories. She is waking slowly. She is surrounded by cards and letters from friends and children from the Boys & Girls Club. Please read from the bottom of this thread below for details, including three ways you can donate to help with medical expenses.

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Saturday, July 20, 2019 at  3 p.m.)—The Nature’s Home farmer’s market was popping at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 20 in a benefit for Kate Donahue’s medical expenses. There were pastries and handmade crafts, herbs, plant starts, vegetables and birdhouses under pop-up tents across the street; more gorgeous, locally grown, vegetables in the patio; and the amazing Teresa’s sourdough bread inside (now we know why  everyone  seems to be talking about it). Many of these vendors were donating proceeds to Kate Donahue’s health expense and recovery fund.

Friend Pam McGee reports that Donahue has not yet woken and is still in Kern Medical’s Intensive Care Unit. She also wants everyone to know that a fund has been set up at the California Bank & Trust branch in Frazier Park (in addition to the GoFundMe and Facebook donation locations). Just ask at the bank how to donate to Kate’s fund, and they will help you, McGee said.

Meanwhile, as we wrote below: Law enforcement is still asking any member of the public who was on Frazier Mountain Park Road Friday, July 12 at 4:30 -5 p.m. near the first bridge between Frazier Park and Lebec, where Kate was riding her turquoise bicycle east, to please immediately contact CHP Officer Richard Anthes at 661.248.6655.

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Thursday, July 18, 2019 at  2:11 p.m.)—To donate to Kate’s medical expenses click here to reach her GoFundMe.com page. For those who wish to use the Facebook site, here is a FB donation site to help with medical expenses.

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Thursday, July 18, 2019 at  12:11 p.m.)—Kate Donahue is still in a sedated state in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Kern Medical. Friends are checking in regularly, but only family are allowed to go in to be close to her. Chris Faulconer is stopping by regularly to offer a prayer circle. “It is correct that they cannot fully diagnose her brain injury until she wakes,” Faulconer said. Here is a donation site to help with medical expenses.

Meanwhile—law enforcement is still asking any member of the public who was on Frazier Mountain Park Road last Friday, July 12 at about 4:30 -5 p.m. near the first bridge between Frazier Park and Lebec, where Kate was riding her turquoise bicycle east, to please immediately contact CHP Officer Richard Anthes at 661.248.6655.

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at 11:54 a.m.)—DID YOU SEE ANYTHING near the scene of Kate Donahue’s accident between 4:30 and 5 p.m. on Friday, July 12? She was riding her bike on Frazier Mountain Park Road heading to Lebec—about a mile east of Mt. Pinos Way—near the first bridge, when the accident occurred. CHP Officer Richard Anthes urgently requests that anyone who saw anything that may have been related to Donahue’s accident please call him immediately at 661.248.6655.

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at 9 a.m.)—Marjorie Nowlin, a childhood friend of Kate Donahue’s (since 7th grade) has created a donation site to help with medical expenses.

Through yesterday, Kate’s recovery progress still seems to be in the right direction, though it is still very early to report details.

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Sunday, July 14, 2019 at 7:34 p.m.)—There is good news this evening, unofficially, about Kate Donahue’s condition. She is in the ICU unit of Kern Medical after a bicycle accident on  Frazier Mountain Park Road.

“The doctors are happy with Kate’s progress,” a friend reports, mentioning that there are tests being run and that she is showing  strength, and small signs of recovery. “All in all, this is great news, and we’ll take all of that we can get…,” her friend said.

There are likely to be several more days of tests and observation.

UPDATE: Frazier Park, CA (Sunday, July 14, 2019 at 3:14 p.m.)—Friends and family are gathered at the hospital to support Kate Donahue. A spokesperson said she has remained stable through Friday night, Saturday and today.

“Kate’s a fighter,” longtime friend Pam McGee said.

Friends are developing a means to facilitate donations to help with medical expenses. We will provide details as they are confirmed.

Frazier Park, CA (Sunday, July 14, 2019 at 12:15 p.m.)—Kate Donahue, the artist who owns Work of Heart Gallery in Frazier Park and who founded The Coffee Cantina (now known as Nature’s Home), is in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Kern Medical after being injured in an accident on Frazier Mountain Park Road.

The report came in on Friday, July 12 at about 5 p.m. Donahue was riding a bicycle. One unconfirmed report said that a hit and run driver collided with her. We have not received a confirmation of that report from California Highway Patrol at this time. She is reported to have sustained broken bones and a head injury.

Donahue is known as a straight-talking woman with a wizard’s touch in the kitchen and a talent for teaching art. She is also a devoted grandmother and a beloved figure in the Mountain Communities. Friends are rallying and a fund is being set up to help with medical expenses. We will update this report as additional information can be confirmed.

This is part of the July 19, 2019 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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