LANCASTER, N.Y. (WKBW) — Lincoln Counihan, a Lancaster High School senior who has a scholarship to run track at St. Bonaventure in the fall, is undergoing multiple surgeries at ECMC. The 18-year-old was seriously injured in a car crash outside his home Sunday night.
"He was leaving to go to his girlfriend's 18th birthday party with her family," Lincoln's mother, Danielle Counihan said. "I was the only one home at the time...and I heard a really loud crash, and then kind of like a whooshing sound."
Danielle told me that Lincoln was driving out of their driveway on Sunday around 5:30 p.m. when a car coming down the street crashed into him.
She ran outside to realize the front of Lincoln's car was in the neighbor's yard across the street. Lincoln was trapped inside the crushed car a few houses over.
"I started yelling at him to see if he was alive, and he did make some movements and some noises," Danielle explained. "The car was crushing him."
Emergency crews used heavy equipment to remove Lincoln and he was rushed to ECMC. Danielle said her son has a shattered pelvis, broken ankle, orbital fracture, internal bleeding, and some ACL tears.
A GoFundMe has been set up by friends to help Lincoln. Dozens of donations from friends, soccer and track teammates, and family have been pouring in.
"It's actually a relatively scary surgery, especially when you have so much work to do," Danielle said about her son's seven-hour pelvic surgery that he had on Tuesday. Doctors told the family that the surgery went well.
On Wednesday morning, the teen was undergoing surgery for his broken ankle, which his mother said was causing swelling in his leg.
Lincoln has many goals he was looking forward to accomplishing, including running in outdoor track and graduating in the spring.
The teen remains intubated at the hospital while he goes through multiple surgeries. His mother told me that he is very dedicated and has worked most of his high school career for his track scholarship to St. Bonvanture in the fall.
"The hardest working kid out there," said Danielle Counihan. "He's just a great kid. He's kind, he's smart. Everybody loves him."
Lincoln will have to have additional pelvic surgery. His family is overwhelmed with the outpouring of support.
