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09-22-2008, 08:17 PM
by Danielle Antonetti
Highland Lakes Newspapers
5 days ago
A Burnet High School football player who was in a one-vehicle accident on Saturday that put him in a San Angelo hospital may be released as soon as Thursday.
Senior Paul Hunter Ulmer, 17, was traveling northbound on CR 124 in McCulloch County, a fourth of a mile south of FM 2028, west of Brady when he lost control of his 1997 Ford Ranger pickup. The vehicle then skidded into the ditch, hitting a telephone pole, and flipped onto its side, authorities said.
He lay in ICU until Sunday. He has a collapsed lung and a ruptured spleen, officials said.
Ulmer was a key contributor to the Burnet Bulldog’s varsity football defense.
“I’m done with football. I butchered up my spleen. I’m very upset. It is what it is, though, and I’m glad I’m still alive,” he said.
Although Ulmer’s football career is over, he remains a member of the team.
“He’s part of our family, and when a player can’t return in the same capacity, we miss him. Hunter was a vital part to this team,” said Doyle Walker, Burnet’s football coach, who has spoken to Ulmer every day since the accident.
“He will still wear his jersey and stand on the sidelines with his teammates. That’s without question, a no-brainer.”
The pole he hit reportedly tore off the roof and a portion of the driver’s side door.
Passersby discovered the vehicle, and Tom Grandberry of Austin found Ulmer lying in a field.
“His knee was protruding above the grass, and he wasn’t conscious. We talked to him and he came to,” Grandberry said. “The kid was lucky because he was driving about 75-80 miles per hour when he lost control.”
It’s unclear whether the impact of the accident threw Ulmer from the pickup’s cab or if he crawled out of the car. The call to fire and paramedics was received at 5:30 p.m., and it’s not known how long Ulmer lay in the field before being found.
“He must have been out there for an hour or so. The engine wasn’t hot or warm, and the blood was already dry, and he had broken the socket of his left eye,” Grandberry said.
Ulmer was taken to Melvin, where he was transported in a helicopter to Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo.
“I don’t exactly remember what happened,” Ulmer said from his hospital room. “I’m putting it together from what others have told me.”
Highland Lakes Newspapers
5 days ago
A Burnet High School football player who was in a one-vehicle accident on Saturday that put him in a San Angelo hospital may be released as soon as Thursday.
Senior Paul Hunter Ulmer, 17, was traveling northbound on CR 124 in McCulloch County, a fourth of a mile south of FM 2028, west of Brady when he lost control of his 1997 Ford Ranger pickup. The vehicle then skidded into the ditch, hitting a telephone pole, and flipped onto its side, authorities said.
He lay in ICU until Sunday. He has a collapsed lung and a ruptured spleen, officials said.
Ulmer was a key contributor to the Burnet Bulldog’s varsity football defense.
“I’m done with football. I butchered up my spleen. I’m very upset. It is what it is, though, and I’m glad I’m still alive,” he said.
Although Ulmer’s football career is over, he remains a member of the team.
“He’s part of our family, and when a player can’t return in the same capacity, we miss him. Hunter was a vital part to this team,” said Doyle Walker, Burnet’s football coach, who has spoken to Ulmer every day since the accident.
“He will still wear his jersey and stand on the sidelines with his teammates. That’s without question, a no-brainer.”
The pole he hit reportedly tore off the roof and a portion of the driver’s side door.
Passersby discovered the vehicle, and Tom Grandberry of Austin found Ulmer lying in a field.
“His knee was protruding above the grass, and he wasn’t conscious. We talked to him and he came to,” Grandberry said. “The kid was lucky because he was driving about 75-80 miles per hour when he lost control.”
It’s unclear whether the impact of the accident threw Ulmer from the pickup’s cab or if he crawled out of the car. The call to fire and paramedics was received at 5:30 p.m., and it’s not known how long Ulmer lay in the field before being found.
“He must have been out there for an hour or so. The engine wasn’t hot or warm, and the blood was already dry, and he had broken the socket of his left eye,” Grandberry said.
Ulmer was taken to Melvin, where he was transported in a helicopter to Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo.
“I don’t exactly remember what happened,” Ulmer said from his hospital room. “I’m putting it together from what others have told me.”