Preface: On Friday, May 2 at 10:40 p.m., history teacher Jason Springer suffered severe injuries in a bicycle accident at the corner of 8th St. and Monterey Way. No witnesses were at the scene, and when Fire-medical officials responded, they found him unresponsive. He was then life-flighted to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

How are you?

“I’m doing pretty good. I’m about 80-85 percent healed, I’ve got some nerve damage that I’m still working through, but I’m just taking it one day at a time, and things are going okay.”

Has this affected your return to teaching at all?

“No, Mr. (Ed) West and the school district have been very accommodating and very helpful as far as getting me back into teaching, and I can’t thank them enough. I’m very lucky to be here.”

Besides them, is there anyone else in the Free State community who’s helped you through?

“I would say my colleagues, all the teachers here at Free State, they really helped me through. They definitely made me feel like where I work is not just a place of work, that it’s actually like a  home that supports a person, and makes you feel like part of a family. Also, I had numerous students who wrote me thank you letters and thank you cards … That was very supportive as well.”

What about communities besides Free State? What about the donation fund?

“There was, but that was by former Free State students .”

Are you returning to biking?

I will whenever I can do it, once I heal enough to get back on the bike, I will.”

What would you say to other bikers?

“Wear your helmet. Saved my life, it can save yours. Wear your helmet, turn your lights on on your bike.”

And to other drivers?

“Pay attention to the road. Share the road with people on a bike.”

Any final thoughts?

“… I’m just glad to be back at work. I’m just kinda glad to be slowly putting my life back together.”