Sophomore identified as pedestrian struck during finals week

A St. Joe’s student who was gravely injured last month when struck by a vehicle while she was crossing City Avenue is recovering in a rehabilitation hospital in a Philadelphia suburb.

Julia Furey-Bastian ’20 was hit Dec. 13 at the intersection of City Avenue and Lapsley Lane. Furey-Bastian was initially taken to Lankenau Medical Center and then transferred to Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Furey-Bastian suffered extensive injuries, including intensive brain trauma, multiple rib and facial fractures, a broken fibula and severe optic injuries, according to her mother Dyan Furey.

“She is courageously facing the first steps in a very long road toward recovery,” Furey said.

Furey-Bastian will remain at MossRehab, where she is undergoing intensive residential rehabilitation, until March 7, Furey said. After that time, she will receive intensive outpatient therapy.

Julia Furey-Bastian leads a student protest on campus
(Photo courtesy of Emily Sokolowski ’20).

The night of the accident, Emily Sokolowski ’20 saw someone lying in City Avenue who had been struck by a car and rushed to help.

“I ran into the street because cars were going around her. Nobody was stopping,” Sokolowski said.

Once she got closer and helped to turn the injured woman over, she discovered the woman was her friend Furey-Bastian.

“Oh, my gosh, it’s Julia,” she remembered saying, then began calling her name.

“She took a gasp,” Sokolowski said. Sokolowski has been visiting Furey-Bastian frequently since the accident.

“She’s doing really well,” Sokolowski said, “but she has a really really long road ahead.”

Furey said that she has appreciated all of the people from St. Joe’s who have visited Furey-Bastian.

“The outpouring of support has been, to me, absolutely astounding, not just students but professors,” Furey said.