Hope for Hunter: Boy Hit by SUV Captivated the Community in 2012

After 14-year-old Hunter Himes was struck by an SUV on Feb. 26 in Darien while he was riding his bike home from a friend’s house, the community united in what became known as Hope for Hunter. 

Himes was in Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, undergoing exhaustive therapy for injuries that doctors say will leave him permanently disabled.

“We miss him tremendously,” Hunter’s mom, Terra Ihde, said. “This is just a horrific accident that we’re still dealing with.”

A petition was later started by Steven Vena, a concerned citizen who has started an online petition to Governor Pat Quinn, calling for harsher penalties for distracted drivers. 

An 8-year-old Darien boy, Hunter Long, came up with the idea of Hope for Hunter Day at Concord Elementary School. Local police gave students summer safety tips in May and there were also bracelets sold to benefit the Himes family. 

It was a crushing thing to happen to this community, but the support that followed it was inspiring, making this the top story of 2012. 

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