Community pitches in fresh set of wheels for man hurt in hit-and-run

Oct. 14--Community donations helped a Keene man get his first car after he was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash while bicycling home.

Matthew B. Glasgow, 25, works full time as a housekeeper at Keene Family YMCA. He lives in the city and rode his bicycle to and from his job every day.

"I was enjoying it, except on the rainy days or stuff like that, because I was getting my workout in," he said.

But just after midnight on Aug. 23, his commute home ended in tragedy. A driver struck Glasgow on Park Avenue near Arch Street and fled the scene, according to a news release from Keene police. A state trooper found Glasgow in the grass with a head wound.

He said he has no recollection of the crash.

"I just remember that I was biking home, going to feed my cats and get ready for the day to start all over again," Glasgow said. "And next thing I know, I woke up at Keene hospital."

An ambulance took him to Cheshire Medical Center before he was transferred to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.

His mother, Janice Glasgow, told The Sentinel in August that he suffered skull and facial fractures, as well as injuries to his right shoulder.

After an investigation, Keene police arrested Elizabeth K. Hunt, 29, of San Leandro, Calif. As of her arrest in August, she faced a felony charge of conduct after an accident.

Glasgow said he spent a few days in the hospital and continued his recovery at home, which included physical therapy. The shoulder pain was significant, he added.

He missed 31 days of work, which took a toll on his finances. Before the crash, he had been saving up to buy a car but said he had to dip into those funds during his recovery.

Shortly after Glasgow landed in the hospital, though, his employer stepped in to help. The Keene Family YMCA launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with Glasgow's expenses and to secure a vehicle for him.

Helene Mogridge, CEO of the Keene Family YMCA, said the incident deeply moved everyone at the Y, especially since Glasgow was leaving work when he was hit.

"We were just devastated and said, 'The poor, poor guy, if he had had a car' -- I mean obviously you can have an accident, but it's not the same thing as being hit on a bike," Mogridge said.

Though Glasgow only started working at the Y in May, Mogridge said he had made an impression and was always "incredibly reliable."

"There are people who come ... to work, they go home, but there was something about Matt," she said. "... He's a special kind of young man, and it made you want to help him."

She said she called Donovan W. Fenton, the marketing manager of Fenton Family Dealerships, and asked if the dealership could help get a car for Glasgow if the Y raised enough money. The dealership agreed to find a car and cut a deal on the price, she said.

Though the Y didn't reach its goal of $11,000, Mogridge said the outpouring of support was a pleasant surprise. According to the GoFundMe page, 90 people had contributed $5,430 as of Saturday. Mogridge said many people also brought donations to the Y.

The money helped with the car purchase, vehicle registration and insurance, along with Glasgow's rent, Mogridge said.

Donations came from board members, employees and members at the Y, she said, along with strangers in the community.

"I just didn't expect the response and from so many different people -- people I've never seen (or) known," Mogridge said. "... I don't think he ever imagined anything like this."

And Glasgow agreed -- the overwhelming support was a complete shock. His mother told him about the GoFundMe page while he was in the Lebanon hospital, he said.

"What was going through my head was just total appreciation and gratefulness for all the kindness that has been shown to me," he said.

Mogridge said the dealership had narrowed it down to two vehicles and invited Glasgow to choose the one he wanted. He went to Subaru of Keene and picked up his Honda Civic on Oct. 4, a date he said he'll never forget.

"It's the first car that I've ever owned," he said.

He emphasized that he's planning to sit down and write thank-you notes to the donors starting Monday.

"Everybody who doesn't even know me personally, besides the people at the Y that I see like on a daily basis, but members and other people from the community that chipped in," Glasgow said.

"I'm just so extremely grateful."

Sierra Hubbard can be reached at 355-8546 or at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SierraHubbardKS.

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