Eleven days ago, Brandon Ensign was thinking about graduating from film school and getting his own apartment.
That all changed in an instant, when he was struck on his bicycle by a hit-and-run driver while on his way to work early in the morning of Feb. 21.
Despite his injuries, which included a fractured pelvis, broken eye sockets, fractured sinuses, multiple lacerations and a brain hematoma- Ensign, 28, said that the crash and his recovery hasn’t brought him down.
At about 5:30 a.m., Ensign was riding his bicycle south on North Wilmot Road, when he was hit by a driver and left for dead at the scene, he said.
Although Ensign doesn’t remember much from the morning of the crash, he was told that a passerby stopped to call 911.
Because no witnesses have come forward, the only lead that Tucson police have is some traces of white paint left on Ensign’s bicycle and pieces of white plastic from a fender that were found at the scene.
“The only question I have for the driver, is why did you leave me there?” Ensign said Thursday. “Things happen, ... but why did you feel you had to leave after what could have been the end of my life?”
Police are asking that anyone who witnessed the crash or has information to call 911 or 88-CRIME.
Ensign has since moved from the hospital to a local inpatient rehabilitation facility, and is undergoing daily physical and speech therapies.
“I’m just trying to get back to the level I was at before the crash, and every step is worth it,” he said. “I grew up in and around hospitals, so I understand the rehab process. You have to fight deep down to be where you want to be.”
Before the crash, Ensign remembers noting the route he biked to work wasn’t very safe, with low visibility for bicyclists, especially early in the morning.
Despite the fact he took safety precautions, wearing a helmet and having lights and reflectors on his bike, Ensign says he knows now that sometimes it’s never enough.
“I wasn’t hurt as badly as I could’ve been, and at this point I just need to rest, relax and recuperate,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough road, but I hope to be back on track in a month or two.”
Ensign, who is set to graduate from the Art Institute of Tucson at the end of the month, said that he looks forward to training for a full-time job after graduating and buying a car.
On Wednesday, a friend of Ensign’s created a Go-Fund Me account to help offset some of his medical bills. As of Thursday afternoon, nearly $3,000 had been raised.
