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Arlington Hts. native paralyzed in crash

An Arlington Heights family is praying for the eventual full recovery of their 25-year-old daughter, even as the 28-year-old Naperville man accused of running away from the Chicago car crash in which she was paralyzed appeared in court Friday.

Kelsey Ibach, a 2007 Hersey High School graduate, was moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center in Chicago Friday. There she was able to shower and sit up in a wheelchair for the first time since her spine was crushed in the Sept. 13 single-vehicle crash in which she was a passenger, her father, Bob Ibach, said.

She is currently without feeling or movement below the waist, he added.

The driver in that early morning crash, Philip J. Cho of the 900 block of Amberwood Circle in Naperville, has been charged with one felony count of failure to report an accident, one misdemeanor count of failure to notify authorities of damage to his unattended vehicle and a citation for failure to reduce speed, Chicago police said.

Cho reportedly turned himself in a week after the crash in which his car and his four passengers plummeted from a road bridge on the 700 block of West Erie onto railroad property below.

Chicago police said Cho fled on foot after the crash, even though all four passengers were injured to some extent.

Cho's bail was set at $200,000 on Tuesday, but he has since posted bail and been released on electronic monitoring, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office.

His next court date was set for Oct. 17. Neither Cho nor his attorney could be reached for comment Friday.

Bob Ibach said he's as hopeful that Cho will own up, accept his punishment and eventually be able to leave something positive behind as he is that his daughter Kelsey will fulfill her own dream of walking again.

As a former public relations director for the Chicago Cubs who remains heavily involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Bob Ibach said he's come to recognize a lot of hope in situations that might at first appear hopeless.

“I've seen so many miracles happen,” he said. “You hold onto hope and you go with the positive.”

The other three passengers of Cho's vehicle have since been released from the hospital — including Cho's lifelong friend in the passenger seat who suffered a severed thumb and a fractured skull, Bob Ibach said.

That man's girlfriend suffered broken ribs in the accident, while a third woman in the back seat was treated and released quickly, he added.

In addition to her spine being crushed in front and back, Kelsey Ibach suffered two punctured lungs, seven broken ribs and a blood spot on her brain that fortunately disappeared, her father said.

She's had three surgeries to fuse everything back together, and no more are anticipated. It's uncertain whether her rehabilitation will take one month or four, as well as to what degree her spine can heal.

“The doctors say, ‘You don't know. Bodies do wonderful things,'” Bob Ibach said.

One thing he knows for sure is that if a positive attitude is necessary to make the difference, his daughter has it covered.

The pain was initially so bad she thought she might want to die. But as soon as she saw paramedics arrive, her thoughts changed.

“At that point, she thought, ‘I want to live! I want to make something of myself!'” Bob Ibach said.

She declined his offer to carry her down the aisle at her wedding someday, saying she's definitely going to walk.

A talented actress and singer from her days at Hersey High School, she graduated from the University of Missouri and worked most recently at a startup company called Inner Workings.

Her boyfriend was out of town on the weekend of the crash, serving as best man at a wedding in Connecticut.

She was with other friends for a birthday party at a club called The Mid in Chicago. Though she almost always takes cabs, she accepted a ride in Cho's car when there turned out to be one more seat available, Bob Ibach said.

He's grateful to a friend of Kelsey's who's been posting updates at caringbridge.org, as well as to others who've contributed to fundraising for his daughter at gofundme.com. As of Friday afternoon, $27,785 had been raised to help her with any expenses not covered by insurance.

“We've been just overwhelmed by the outpouring of support,” he said.

Philip J. Cho
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