SALEM, OR (KPTV) -
A well-known Salem author was still in the hospital Wednesday after he was hit while crossing a busy street.
Salem police say John Dashney was crossing 17th Street Northeast at Chemeketa Street when Rose Litherland slammed into him.
Friends say Dashney was placed in a medically induced coma on Tuesday night.
The driver accused of hitting Dashney was in court Wednesday afternoon, facing charges of DUII and second-degree assault.
Litherland's bail is set at $100,000.
Every day, Dashney, 70, walks up and down his block around his neighborhood.
On Tuesday afternoon, that walk ended with a crash that sent Dashney to the hospital.
Police say Litherland slammed into Dashney as he was in the middle of a crosswalk.
"It sounded like the sign - like something hitting metal - it sounded loud ," said Ken Adams, who lives nearby.
Dozens of neighbors heard the crash and many called 911 as they watched Dashney lay motionless in the street.
"I saw the man down and he didn't move for a long time until the ambulance was here," said Adams.
Jeff Titus is Dashney's neighbor and was on his way home when he saw the accident firsthand.
"Next thing I knew he was in the middle of the air. He did three cartwheels 10 feet in the air and hit the ground," said Titus.
Neighbors said this intersection has always been dangerous.
Titus says he's watched too many close calls in the past, but this time it's different - it's someone he knows.
"I've replayed it like a movie, in my head like 10,000 times and I don't think I'll ever get it out of my mind," added Titus.
Dashney is considered legally blind and has partial vision in one of his eyes, but that hasn't stopped him from getting around.
His family says he's always been active and loves his independence.
Dashney is a well-known member of the community and is a children's book author who has visited dozens of schools over the decades.
On Wednesday afternoon, Dashney remained in critical condition at a Salem Hospital, while all his friends and family are holding out hope he'll make a full recovery.
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