Cotter High School senior class president Rosemary Flanagan pulled through after a minor one vehicle crash on Thursday afternoon in the skyway.

Flanagan was making her way to math teacher Sandra Hohnstadt’s connect and serve class when she reached a downward slant and lost control of her vehicle, causing it to speed forward wildly and strike the glass on her left.  Rosemary sustained only a few bruises but was considerably shaken up.

“I was leisurely making my way across the skyway,” Flanagan said of her incident.  “Next thing I knew, my wheels were spinning out of control.  I tried slamming my foot down, but I couldn’t stop.  I thought I was going to break through the glass.”

There were no witnesses to the accident, but Rosemary managed to send word of it to some of her connect and serve peers.

Unfortunately, no one came to her aid.  After several attempts, the disoriented class president rode out of the skyway in her vehicle, made her way to the elevator, and joined her class to learn about the lunar new year.

Rosemary underwent hip surgery over a month ago and was prescribed a wheelchair for use at school.  Questions have been raised as to why she was traveling alone and why she had never encountered the problem before.

“I don’t have any classes in the Roger Bacon building.  I have only been over there once since the surgery, and my friends wheeled me over.  I wasn’t expecting that small of a slant to make that big of a difference.”

Although no one was harmed, the event shed light on the accessibility of the school.  Flanagan has been spotted on multiple occasions getting stuck in doorways.

“I was washing my hands in the bathroom on the second floor,” said senior Erin Derks. “I offered to help her out, but she insisted on doing it herself.  Next thing I know, one of her crutches is stuck between the spokes of her front wheel, and her wheelchair won’t budge.  It took a couple minutes to get her out of the doorway.”

Rosemary claims she rarely has trouble.  “It took awhile to get used to, but I almost never get stuck anymore,” she stated slightly defensively.  “I go to the bathroom a lot, and I only ask people to hold the door if it’s already open.  Besides, the entrance to second floor bathroom has a really weird angle.  It’s not a big deal.”

Despite the regrettable struggles of Flanagan’s wheelchair adventure, Cotter has demonstrated that they are more than willing to accommodate disabled students.

Issues usually only occur when students, such as Rosemary, refuse help to maintain some independence.  Our persistent senior class president proved the prominence of the problem last week when she spilled tomato sauce all over her crutches and tan sweatpants while attempting to carry her lunch herself.  Indeed, sometimes the lack of freedom is far more painful than the injury itself.