Jeremy Scott Curtis, who was involved in a wreck last week on Highway 20, remains in a coma at St. Francis Hospital.

His two-door Nissan was struck at the intersection of Highway 20 and Carbide Road Monday, March 1, when he pulled out in front of a Ford Focus.

Curtis, 23, graduated from Locust Grove High School in 2005. He was an All-State Wrestler, placing three times at state. He was State Champion Wrestler in 2005.

Cynthia Toler, Curtis’ mother, said doctors are keeping him in a chemically-induced coma.

“Just to move him would be excruciating,” Toler said. She said Curtis has to be rotated every two hours.

The left side of his pelvis was broken in four places, said Curtis’ father, James Curtis. He is also suffering severe swelling on his brain because of the head trauma.

James said the hip cannot be operated on until the swelling in the brain goes down.

“There’s good days and bad days,” said James. “It’s just a real hard

waiting game.”

Toler said Curtis’ hip is moving up and over because it is detached from his leg. Doctors have placed traction on his injured leg, which is a pin running through the leg to keep the femur out of the hip joint.

James said doctors cannot tell if his son has any long-term brain

damage until he wakes up from the coma.

Toler said physicians drilled into Curtis’ head and placed a sensor inside so they can monitor

the swelling. They also increased his respiration to create more carbon dioxide to help reduce the swelling. Toler said they had to slow the respiration again after Curtis’ oxygen level went down.

A CAT scan was done Friday on Curtis’ brain to compare to the initial CAT scan right after the wreck. Results from Friday’s scan show that Curtis has sustained more bruising in his brain. Another scan was run Monday.

In addition to swelling on his brain, Toler said Curtis is now battling a bacterial infection and pneumonia.

Other complications include a bruised liver, torn ligaments and tendons in his right ankle and a partially collapsed lung, which currently has a tube running out of it. His spleen was removed. He is currently receiving nourishment through feeding tubes.

James said friends and acquaintances have sent cards and flowers. Some have taken up a collection to help cover medical costs.

“People have been so nice and so kind,” said James. “It’s been a real blessing for us.”

Curtis and his girlfriend Lacey Puckett have two sons, 3-year-old Jace and 7-month-old Jon. His stepmother is Dawnya Curtis. His stepfather is Leon Toler.

“We’re thankful for all the prayers that have gone out,” Toler said. “He needs a lot of them.”

Toler said Curtis will probably have to stay at St. Francis through his physical therapy. She said he will not be able to have any weight placed on his hip for three months.

“He’s got a long

recovery ahead of him,” she said.