Fall River Mayor’s Wife Hospitalized After Crash
(Updated 11:19 a.m. Nov. 1 — A Monday update from Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan has been appended to the story.)
FALL RIVER — Former Olympic athlete and Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan's wife Judi St. Hilaire is in the ICU at St. Luke's Hospital after she was hit by a car in Mattapoisett while cycling on Sunday.
Coogan wrote in a social media post yesterday afternoon that St. Hilaire is suffering from 12 broken ribs, two broken collarbones, and punctured lungs.
He gave an update on her status Monday morning, stating that she remains in the ICU but is in stable condition.
"They are continuing to run tests," Coogan noted. "She will have a long journey to recovery, but we have no doubt that she will be back on the road before long."
He thanked everyone for the hundreds of messages of support he and Judi have received, and adding a reminder to drivers to "stay focused and drive with caution."
The 62-year-old St. Hilaire is a former Olympic and U.S. champion runner who placed eighth in the women's 10,000 meters in the 1992 summer games in Barcelona.
She earned a silver medal in the 1985 World 15km Road Race Championships, and won the U.S. championships in the 10,000 meter race in 1980 and the 5,000 meter race in 1983.
St. Hilaire was completing a 60-mile bicycle ride with the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen when she and two other cyclists were hit by a car that ran a stop sign, according to Coogan.
He wrote, "She still loves to bike and will be back to riding after plenty of recovery and rehab," before asking his followers to say a prayer for her.
Coogan is finishing up the race to keep his seat in the city's mayoral election on Nov. 2.
He said his wife is sorry to miss the last few days of the campaign, "but that's the least of our concerns."
The SouthCoast Guide to Heated Outdoor Dining 2021
How to Speak Fall River