ROGERS PARK — A 17-year-old recent graduate of Chicago Math and Science Academy in Rogers Park is battling injuries in the intensive care unit after being struck by a car Monday.
After being hit around 9 p.m. in suburban Elk Grove Village, Joel Nahimana suffered serious fractures to his hip, neck, both knees and shoulders, a CMSA rep said.
It was unknown if Nahimana was able to speak, said Irene Bermudez, the school's community engagement coordinator, because his teeth had also been knocked out when he was struck.
With six surgeries on the docket, Nahimana's classmates are holding a car wash fundraiser from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 22 at the school's parking lot, 7212 N. Clark St., to help raise money for Nahimana's recovery.
So far, an online donation page has garnered more than $1,500 of its $10,000 goal.
Bermudez described Nahimana as a "quiet kid with a positive and laid-back personality" who moved to Chicago with his family from Tanzania in 2007.
Known as a hard worker in the classroom and soccer field, Nahimana is the eldest of four children and "constantly works to set a positive example for his younger siblings and to make his parents proud," Bermudez said.
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