Daily Mississippian

Ole Miss student Brandi Tipton is recovering from a wreck that occurred on University Avenue in the early morning hours of Friday, April 25.

Tipton, a senior journalism major, said she was riding with a designated driver from Sonic to McDonald's after celebrating her 21st birthday when a Dodge Durango driven by Logan O'Connor pulled out in front of them. Chief Mike Martin of the Oxford Police Department gave a statement concerning the incident.

"OPD personnel were dispatched to Baptist Memorial Hospital at 1:25 a.m., April 25, about a disturbance in the emergency room," he said. "When police arrived, they arrested O'Connor and charged him with public drunkenness."

O'Connor said even though he was charged with public drunkenness, police did not give him a Breathalyzer test .

Tipton said the night's events are still unclear.

"I don't remember much of the wreck because I received a concussion," Tipton said. "It was my 21st birthday Monday, so I went out on Thursday night. I was drinking, so I had a designated driver. I got hungry, so we went to Sonic; then when we pulled in, we decided we wanted McDonald's instead.

"There was construction going on (on) University Avenue. It was hard to see, and I guess that this guy didn't see were he was."

O'Connor recounted the events of the wreck from his perspective.

"It was really late, and I was coming from a birthday party to go home," O'Connor said. "I was traveling on University Avenue, where there is construction going on. The two inside lanes were closed off with construction barrels, but the workers left an opening so that people on my street can turn in."

O'Connor said he looked both ways before turning onto the street.

"I did not see anyone. I turned, and we collided," he said.

Tipton said the trip to the hospital is also difficult to remember.

"After the accident, the other driver was freaking out and was talking with my DD (designated driver)," Tipton said. "It got kind of hazy after that, but we ended up at the hospital. My driver and the other driver got into it at the hospital, and the hospital staff called the cops. They arrested him and charged him with being drunk in public. But he is really being very cooperative now, helping out with the insurance and everything."

Tipton, now released from the hospital, recounted her injuries.

"I can't see out of my right eye, and the doctors don't know if I will be able to see out of it in the future," she said. "And I can't feel anything in one of my arms."

O'Connor recalled an altercation at the hospital.

"The hospital called the cops after the girl (Tipton) slapped me," O'Connor said. "She was upset, especially when I said that it was not 100 percent my fault."

Tipton said she did slap O'Connor, but only after he made an inappropriate remark.

"I remember slapping him because he made a rude comment," she said. "Even the nurses were saying his comment was uncalled for."

Article Tools