[HANASHIR:15151] Sad news

[K. B. <kbmusic...>]

Dear Fellow Musicians,
I received the following from Teddy Klaus and thought I would pass it along for 
all of you who know and care about Sharon.
Karen Blum
=================================

Dear Friends,
 
I heard today about a terrible accident involving our colleague, Sharon 
Steinberg, of Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, VA. She was in a freak 
automobile accident yesterday. I understand that she is doing fair, though she 
is still in ICU at Fairfax Hospital. She is expected to make a full recovery, 
according to her rabbis, though may be out for quite some time. Here is what 
has been reported:
 
Woman Still Critical After Drive-Through Mishap
 
Updated: Friday, Aug. 22, 2003 - 10:00 AM EDT.
 
BURKE, Va. - An Annandale woman remains in critical condition in Inova Fairfax 
Hospital Friday after an unusual accident at a McDonald's a day earlier.
 
Sharon Steinberg, 46, of Annandale, was paying for food Thursday morning at the 
McDonald's drive-through near the intersection of Burke Lake Road at Rolling 
Road in the Kings Park area of Fairfax County when she dropped change next her 
Mercury Villager minivan.
 
Police say when she opened the door to get the change, the minivan started 
moving forward. The open driver's door struck the building and the door closed, 
pinning the woman's head between the door and the door jam.
 
A quick-acting officer backed up the minivan to free Steinberg. Fire and Rescue 
workers performed CPR until her pulse came back.
 
(Copyright 2003 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)
 
I'm sure she'd appreciate all cards and notes for a R'fuah Sh'leimah. I do not 
have her Hebrew name.
 
Mike Shochet
 
===========================================
 
Driver Critically Injured In Drive-Through Lane
 
By William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, August 22, 2003; Page B07
 

A Northern Virginia woman was critically injured yesterday in an accident at a 
McDonald's in Burke while picking up her dropped change after she bought 
breakfast at the restaurant's drive-through window.
 

The 46-year-old Annandale woman leaned out the door of her Mercury Villager 
minivan and apparently took her foot off the brake, Fairfax
County police said. The vehicle lurched forward and the door struck the side of 
the building, which then forced the door closed with the woman's head pinned 
against the door jamb.
 
Fairfax police Sgt. Shawn Martin responded to a 911 call and quickly backed up 
the minivan to free the woman, who did not have a pulse at that point, said 
Sgt. Jeff Gossett, a police spokesman. Fire and Rescue Department personnel 
arrived moments later and performed CPR, reviving the woman, who was then taken 
to Inova Fairfax Hospital in critical condition, Gossett said.
 
He said her name was not being released pending notification of next of kin.
 
A hospital spokeswoman said she could not update the woman's condition because 
of federal privacy regulations that took effect in April.
 
The manager of the McDonald's, which opened a few months ago at Burke Lake and 
Rolling roads in the Kings Park Shopping Center, referred questions to a public 
relations firm, which issued a statement in the name of the restaurant's owner, 
Joseph Montoya.
 
"We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate freak accident," the statement 
said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim, her family and friends."
 
The restaurant manager and employees "responded immediately to get police and 
medical assistance to the restaurant," the statement continued, adding, "We are 
cooperating fully with the Springfield police department in their 
investigation."
 
Gossett, the police spokesman, said that the woman was alone in the minivan and 
that "most likely her foot slipped off the brake" as she leaned out to pick up 
the dropped change.
 
"This is the first time I've ever heard of anything like this happening," he 
said. Nevertheless, he noted, it was the sort of accident that "could happen to 
anyone" and could have been prevented.
 
"Every time you're in the driver's seat, when you have to open the door, the 
car should be in park," Gossett said. "That would prevent a tragedy such as 
this."
 
Jamie Weaver, co-owner of a hair salon near the McDonald's, said several 
ambulances arrived shortly after the accident occurred about 8:30 a.m.
 

A9 2003 The Washington Post Company

*************************************************
 Listen to the "World's Classical Radio Station"
            http://www.beethoven.com
Great Music, Free Email, Exciting Bulletin Board!

------------------------ hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org -----------------------+
Hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network  http://shamash.org  
A service of Hebrew College, which offers online courses and an
online MA in Jewish Studies, http://hebrewcollege.edu/online/ 

* * FREE JEWISH LEARNING * *
Shamash invites you to join MyJewishLearning.com, a comprehensive,
objective, authoritative and interactive learning resource in all areas
of Judaism.  Free membership via http://www.myjewishlearning.com/shamash
------------------------ hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org -----------------------=