Remy LeBreh
Linconia
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- The power of social media brightened the day Monday of an Albany-area teenager who was seriously injured in a two-car crash late Saturday night.
Matt Hardy, a 17-year-old Shenendehowa High School junior who was injured in the accident that claimed the lives of two fellow Shenendehowa students, was called in his hospital room just after 9 p.m. Monday by New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow after the hashtag #TebowCallMatt trended nationally on Twitter.
After the call, Hardys brother, Michael, tweeted: "TIM TEBOW JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH MATT! SUCH A CLASS ACT!!"
A few minutes later, Tebow tweeted: "Thanks to everyone who got #TebowCallMatt trending & helped connect us. Matt truly inspired me. God bless yall."
Matt Hardy is a junior football, baseball and basketball player at Shenendehowa. He was upgraded to stable condition in Albany Medical Center on Monday night with a concussion and broken bones.
The two students killed in the crash were Shenendehowa seniors Chris Stewart and Deanna Rivers, both 17. Stewart played football and Rivers played softball at the school.
The other person in the crash, 17-year-old Bailey Wind from Shaker High School in the Albany area, remained hospitalized in serious condition Monday night with broken bones.
New York State Police said Dennis Drue, 22, of Clifton Park, caused the accident when he aggressively switched lanes and
hit the back of the SUV driven by Stewart in the right-hand lane, causing the vehicle to swerve across the highway and into the median.
Drue, who failed an alcohol breath test at the scene, is likely to be charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, according to police.
But Monday night, Matt Hardy got an emotional lift when he received the call from Tebow, and Hardys friends were excited about it.
Even his namesakes can't stay off twitter