Joni Norris has worked at Moore Insurance Services for nearly 30 years. Courtesy | Moore Insurance Services
Local woman, Joni Norris, remains in critical condition but is breathing on her own after being struck by a county-owned vehicle Feb. 17.
Norris, a mother who worked at Moore Insurance Services for nearly 30 years, was hit while walking in the crosswalk at the intersection of North Broad Street and McCollum Street. She was first taken to a Hillsdale Hospital before being airlifted to another hospital, according to a Michigan State Police news release.
Norris suffered a life-threatening head injury, and underwent brain surgery, according to the GoFundMe her son Allan Norris created.
“The road to recovery will be long and challenging,” he said on the GoFundMe page.
Police said the vehicle was a Ford F-Series utility vehicle that was turning from McCollum Street onto Broad Street.
The county maintenance and facilities department employee who was driving the truck has been placed on leave, according to a statement released by Hillsdale County.
Ryan Servold, the maintenance man for St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, said he saw the truck turn before it suddenly stopped.
“I was coming up McCollum Street on the sidewalk, and I saw people on their phones calling 911, and I saw her laying face down in the middle of the street,” Servold said. “I ran over and noticed she wasn’t responding. I tried to stop the bleeding from her head and keep her airway open.”
Servold said he took care of her until a police officer took over.
After the accident, Norris’s boss, Richard Moore, said he received a call shortly after the office had closed for lunch.
“Joni is a person that likes routines, and every day, weather permitting, she’d go out for a walk,” Moore said. “Everyone in this downtown knows Joni, because she’d walk. I went home for lunch, and I got a frantic call around 12:30 p.m. saying, ‘Hey, something happened downtown. We think it might be Joni.’ I rushed in my car about a mile out of town and got downtown. The street was already blocked.”
Moore said people from the community who heard what happened came into the office to ask about Norris’ condition.
“Our new chief of police, Kristopher Joswiak, actually came in that day, then came back the following day and talked with me. I didn’t realize this at the time, but these are things you learn. It was his second day on the job,” Moore said. “He’s a certified EMT, that’s how he got his start. He was able to actually ride in the ambulance with Joni and comfort her. It made me feel so good, just knowing our new chief was there with Joni in her time of need.”
Cindy Bieszk, owner of the Filling Station Deli downtown, said Norris would come in most Tuesdays for its taco salad, which was on special. Norris was known for being attentive while on her daily walks.
“She’ll always come across at one of the crosswalks,” Bieszk said. “She’s always very careful about that because she’s been terrified for a long time about getting hit.”
Norris had a close call about a month earlier on the same crosswalk, according to Bieszk.
“She nearly got hit four weeks ago now,” Bieszk said. “Same situation. The older couple in my shop witnessed both events.”
