A University of Albany student is in a coma after she was struck by an "illegal dirt bike" on April 27 just after midnight, according to her family and the Albany Police Department in New York.
Alexa Kropf, 19, of Long Island, is showing small signs of improvement this week after undergoing multiple surgeries, and she will have to be medevaced home once she is released from the hospital.
"It's a nightmare for a parent. I wish it on no one ever," Alexa's father, Jim Kropf, told Fox News Digital.
Alexa Kropf has undergone two brain surgeries to remove bleeding and swelling, her father said. She also suffered two broken bones in her lower right leg, fractures in her pelvis, five broken ribs and bruised lungs, he told Fox News Digital.
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Jim Kropf described his daughter as loving, fun, responsible and hard-working. She is "a best friend" to her younger sister, and her younger brother "looks up to her."
"When you look at this beautiful girl, who now has her head half shaved, and you can see the 50 staples that are in her skull because her skull had been cut open two times for the surgery – you see that the swelling and the scars and the more staples in her leg… a feeding tube, oxygen up through her nose, as well – it's horrific. Every single time I approach the bed to talk to her, it's so emotional. And you have to stay positive. It's such torture – torture as a parent to have to do that."
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Albany police are still searching for the suspect, described as a male, who was "driving an illegal dirt bike at a high rate of speed while weaving in and out of groups of people in the roadway" on the 400 block of Hudson Avenue when he hit Kropf, according to a press release.
"While driving at a high rate of speed, the suspect struck the victim and caused her to be thrown in the air, and land in the roadway several feet away from the initial impact," police said.
Alexa had been out with friends that Saturday night; the dirt-biker hit her on a one-way street. Jim expressed gratitude for Alexa's friends, who immediately called for help.
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"From what I understand, [Alexa's friends'] recollection is that the officer pretty much said, 'You can't leave,' because [the suspect] had fallen off the bike," Jim explained. "They tended to my daughter and then they turned around and he pretty much flipped them off, as they say, and got back on the bike and drove away."
The 19-year-old was in critical condition upon arrival at Albany Medical Center Hospital on April 27. Jim thanked the medical staff with the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), the Ronald McDonald House for providing a place for his family to stay while visiting Alexa in the hospital, and local law enforcement.
A GoFundMe titled "UAlbany Alexa Kropf Hit and Run" has been created to help Kropf's recovery.
The Albany County Sheriff's Department reportedly ran an illegal dirty bike detail throughout Albany on May 2 and seized 10 illegal bikes. They also issued 21 traffic violations and made two arrests for aggravated unlicensed operation, according to News 10. The prevalence of illegal or unlicensed bikes and mopeds has been a recent issue for major cities, including New York CIty and Washington, D.C.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the hit-and-run to contact the Albany Police Traffic and Safety Division at (518) 458-5628. Anonymous tipsters can send information to Capital Region Crime Stoppers at www.capitalregioncrimestoppers.com or by downloading the free P3 Tips mobile app.
