2009 IU alumna in coma after Fairfax Road crash

A recent IU graduate is in a deep coma after losing control of her vehicle mid-morning July 30.

Whitney King, 22, was rushed to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis about 10:30 a.m. July 30 after sliding off Fairfax Road south of Bloomington, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The heavy rain at the time made the notoriously dangerous road especially hazardous.

King, a 2009 IU graduate and Noblesville, Ind., native, was driving to her waitress summer job at Eagle Pointe Golf Resort near Monroe Reservoir when her vehicle drifted left of the center lane. She overcorrected and her vehicle struck a telephone pole on the driver side.

As of Monday afternoon, King was in a deep coma awaiting further MRI and other brain imaging scans. Her intercranial pressure was still too unstable to go ahead with further brain scans, said her father, Mike King, in a phone interview.

Whitney King’s other serious injuries include a broken pelvis, ruptured bladder and severe cuts and bruising.

King graduated in May with a degree in broadcast journalism. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and the IU Essence hip-hop dance club. She worked at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation building and lead a cardio kickboxing group workout session there.

Whitney’s older brother, Tyler King, also graduated from IU in 2008 and recently completed his first year at IU School of Medicine.

Whitney’s family is keeping friends and family up-to-date on her medical condition through CaringBridge, a nonprofit Web service provided by Methodist Hospital. For the latest developments in Whitney’s recovery, Mike King urges friends read Whitney’s CaringBridge journal at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/whitneyking.