22 September 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka man suffered a near-fatal injury in a hit-and-run accident last Friday, and nearly a week later, he is recovering from surgery.
Charles Singleterry’s family says things were not looking good following his accident, but on Wednesday, they celebrated a successful surgery, which is a major step in his recovery.
As part of his utility location duties, Singleterry was marking different areas on 21st Street when he was hit by a car.
“When the doctors saw his CT scan, they thought he was already dead,” His daughter Alexandra Singleterry said. “They did not even think he was going to make it, but he’s made it this far and he’s doing so well.”
He was internally decapitated, which is the tearing of the ligaments responsible for attaching the skull to the spine. This injury is almost always fatal. On Wednesday, doctors performed surgery to repair it.
“It went well,” Singleterry said. “He’s already making improvements, already moving his legs and his hands. He’s a miracle, they did not think he was going to make it.”
Jobs that require work on buys roads can be dangerous if drivers don’t pay attention. Singleterry’s family says they want to shed light on the importance of pedestrian safety.
“We feel like we need to bring awareness to construction workers, utility workers because no one really thought it could be this bad,” Singleterry said. “Construction workers and utility workers don’t need to be worried about that. They all have families to come home to.”
The family says he’s not out of the woods just yet, but they are grateful for where things are now.