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Elliott Turner, set to enter the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a freshman, was a passenger in a Honda driven by Brielle Smith, 18, a Hilton Head Christian Academy graduate from Bluffton, said sheriff's Cpl. Robin McIntosh.
The teens were headed toward Sea Pines Circle on Greenwood Drive around 12:45 p.m. Monday when another driver attempted to make a left turn into Hilton Head Plaza and hit the Honda, McIntosh said.
That driver failed to yield the right of way but was not cited.
The teens' car was traveling about 20 mph; the other car about 5 mph, McIntosh said.
Both Turner and Smith were taken to Hilton Head Hospital, she said.The driver of the other car was uninjured.
Smith was released the same day, according to Kelly Presnell, a hospital spokeswoman. Turner was listed in fair condition Wednesday evening, Presnell said.
Turner -- a greeter at Lowcountry Community Church in Bluffton who had been employed at Best Buy and Giuseppi's Pizza in Sea Pines -- underwent surgery earlier this week to repair a tear in his aorta, the main blood vessel that pumps blood through the heart, according to a statement from his parents, Tony and Sheila Turner.
His vital signs are stable and his chances for recovery are good, according to the parents' statement issued Wednesday by the hospital.
"God gave us a wonderful surgeon and ICU staff at Hilton Head Hospital giving us the hope that our son will follow his dream to go to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln," the statement said. "We ask that you continue to pray for his recovery. He looks forward to hugging all his family and friends soon."
