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Community raising money for Salem blind man injured in hit-and-run crash

Stephen Murphy has two broken vertebrae in his neck, a broken pelvis and nose, and a mangled knee. He had surgery on his neck and is facing knee surgery next.

SALEM, Oregon — People in Salem came out Sunday to help raise money for a man who was hit by a car and left for dead Monday night.

Stephen Murphy is blind, and walks to and from work as a massage therapist near his house in Salem.

He was walking Monday night on Hrubetz Road Southeast, when a car hit him and his guide dog Amelia and took off.

Murphy has two broken vertebrae in his neck, a broken pelvis and nose, and a mangled knee. He had surgery on his neck, but rehab will last a long time. Next, they'll operate on his knee.

RELATED: Man arrested for hit-and-run of blind man, guide dog in Salem

Amelia the dog has cuts and bruises and is recovering.

On Sunday, at Shotski's Woodfired Eats in Salem, they held a fundraiser to help with the medical bills.

A second fundraiser, a spaghetti feed and benefit auction has been planned for Murphy, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, at South Liberty Bar. Please call 503-363-2739 to donate items for the auction. Click here for more information.

A crowdfunding page has also been set up on Facebook. Click here to visit that fundraising site, which has raised $12,500 as of Sunday evening.

Connie, Stephen's wife, who is also blind, talked about the amazing community that's helping her.

"I would love to thank the guy, for my family," she said.

Salem police arrested Donald Crume two nights later, and charged him with hit and run for leaving both stephen and his dog in the street.

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