SAN DIEGO – A San Diego Chargers intern who sustained a critical head injury after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in Pacific Beach earlier this month is continuing to show signs of improvement.
Twenty-three-year-old J’Ron Erby and 25-year-old Kendrick Hester were mowed down by a car while crossing the street in the 900 block of Garnet Avenue just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 5. The four-door sedan was going the wrong way, traveling east in the westbound lanes, police said. It never stopped following the crash.
Erby sustained a critical head injury, with swelling and bleeding to his brain. He was sedated in the intensive care unit of Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest.
His brother, Lee Erby, told 10News Monday night that J’Ron had started to awake and was in and out of sleep. Details regarding his long-term prognosis have not been confirmed.
A Bay Area native, Erby played football for the Wayne State University in Michigan and had just started a public relations internship for the Chargers. The Spanos family, who owns the Chargers, arranged for Erby’s family to come to San Diego and be with J’Ron while he recovers.
Hester, meanwhile, sustained a large cut to his forehead. Hester played college football with Erby and they were roommates.
“We were about to cross the street and I don't really remember much,” Hester told 10News a few days after the accident.
The suspect driver remains at large. There was no description of the suspect or vehicle.
