Police ask for community’s assistance
By Jon Johnson
PIMA – Thatcher Middle School Principal Jessica Medlin was struck while jogging in Pima early Thursday morning and was flown to a Tucson hospital for treatment. Now, police are asking the community for their assistance.
Medlin suffered a skull fracture and was bleeding from her brain. She was conscious but not responsive while being attended to at Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center. According to Pima Police Chief Diane Cauthen, Medlin was transported to the Safford Regional Airport, where she was flown to Tucson on a fixed-wing aircraft, using a plane instead of the helicopter service, possibly due to inclement weather.
Cauthen said Medlin was jogging along 200 North (Tripp Canyon) at roughly 5:30 a.m. when she was struck. The area has no sidewalks or bike lanes and only a tiny dirt shoulder, so it was dark during the collision due to the time of day and lack of lighting.
Medlin is an avid jogger and frequently jogs a 15-mile route from her residence, which is roughly 1 mile away from where she was located.
A passerby noticed her injured and stopped to render aid and call 9-1-1. The vehicle that struck her was not in the area and may not have realized the collision. The Pima Police are asking anyone in the area at the time or who might have any information to call the Pima dispatch number at (928) 428-0808.
