Centennial High teacher hurt in wreck says he's doing better now

Centennial High assistant cross country coach Glenn Mabey says he's back where he wants to be - teaching science at Centennial High School and basking in a successful cross country season.

On July 22, a car accident along Idaho 55 killed one of Mabey's student athletes, injured two others, and left Mabey unconscious and in intensive care for more than a week. The other driver has been charged in the collision.

In early August, Mabey awoke to find himself hospitalized with a shattered arm, brain injuries that robbed him of his short-term memory, no spleen, problems with stamina and endurance, and a feeling of disbelief that one of his athletes, Steven Thompson, 17, was dead.

Mabey said Wednesday he is pretty close to mental recovery, but there are still physical and emotional struggles.

"My 'dain bramage,' as I like to call it, is getting better," he said.

Since most of his memory loss was short-term, Mabey said lesson planning wasn't that difficult. The trouble came with remembering his new students' names and teaching a new subject - oceanography.

"I wrote myself tons of notes, because if I didn't write something down, I would forget," Mabey said. "I still write notes to make sure."

He just competed in his first race since the accident, the 6.1-mile YMCA Christmas Run in December.

"All I can say is that I feel blessed," Mabey said. "I love teaching kids. I love coaching kids. I just feel so fortunate right now."

"I think oftentimes tragedies either break up a family or draw them tighter, and I think this tragedy has made our Centennial family stronger," Principal Alta Graham said. "The fabulous thing about (Mabey) is he was back right away and we have all been there for each other."

CHARGES FILED THIS WEEKIN THE FATAL WRECK

This week, half a year after the accident, Boise County prosecutors charged Ryan K. Howard, 38, of Donnelly with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Prosecutors say Howard was responsible for the death of Thompson and the injuries of Mabey, Austin Stallings, 19, and Michael Dobkins, 17, when Howard lost control of his truck and drove into an SUV on a rain-slickened Idaho 55.

Mabey and the three students were on their way to Stanley to scout out camping spots for a running camp that weekend.

Both Stallings and Dobkins were hospitalized but had recovered enough by fall to run cross country.

Boise County Prosecutor Tim Flemming said he decided the charge was appropriate after reading Idaho State Police reports on the accident.

The evidence did not show "gross negligence" on the part of Howard - which would have been required for charging him with a felony - but it did show that careless and inattentive driving and a speed too fast for conditions led to the crash, Flemming said.

If convicted, Howard could be sent to jail for up to a year and pay up to $2,000 in fines.

By that time, Howard might already be in prison; he pleaded guilty to an unrelated felony DUI charge from September in Valley County. He will be sentenced later this month. Idaho State Police investigators say alcohol was not a factor July 22.

Mabey said he was not sure how he felt about Howard being charged with vehicular manslaughter.

"To be honest, I am kind of saddened," Mabey said. "Hasn't he suffered enough? I hold no ill will towards (Howard) at all"

RECOVERY AND A RETURN TO TEACHING

Mabey said he is proud of Stallings and Dobkins for returning to track and providing senior leadership. Like Graham, Mabey feels the track teams bonded this year to support each other as they mourned and honored Thompson.

"If we hadn't lost Steven we would have had one of the best teams in the state," Mabey said. "As it was, we had our best performance at (the state championships) in the last six or seven years."

The girls finished fifth and the boys ninth. Two members of each team finished in the top 20.

Mabey wasn't able to run along with the kids this fall, but he said, "I was able to talk to them daily, encourage them, to yell at them."

A casual observer watching Mabey teach oceanography Wednesday wouldn't have been able to tell he had endured a devastating accident months earlier. He moves with ease and holds the attention of students.

While his doctors warned him about possible fatigue, Mabey said, "Who isn't tired when they teach? It was not so bad."

But the physical recovery continues. Mabey was just cleared to lift 5 pounds with his left arm, which sustained a shattered ulna.

"When I got my brace off, I couldn't even tear off a piece of toilet paper," he said. "I think it is going to take a year or so to get my arm back."

Patrick Orr: 373-6619