Stock photo, blog post by John HoffBruce Smerud is known in the Hawthorne Neighborhood as "that guy who wears the gas mask" because he reportedly has allergies so severe that he has resorted to this method of coping. He is a colorful character, but a very decent man and concerned enough about the neighborhood that he often attends functions of the Hawthorne Neighborhood Council such as the annual meeting.
Some weeks ago, I received word that...
...Smerud had been riding his bike and got hit by a car, actually dragged 100 feet. He suffered a broken femur, ribs and arm. His condition was so critical it was believed he might not make it to the hospital. Smerud was not carrying identification and his identity was unknown by the hospital personnel for a while, but the most recent word is Smerud had a breathing tube removed and is breathing on his own.
However, this information is a couple weeks old. If anybody has more up-to-date information, please contact me or, better yet, post it to the comments.
There has been zero media coverage about this incident, until now. Some members of the Hawthorne neighborhood did sign a "get well" card and forwarded it to Smerud.
