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Hudson bicyclist injured in hit-and-run plans dance party

Barbara Espy talks with a parking enforcement officer while riding her bike in downtown Hudson, Wis. on Dec. 6, 2023. The Hudson Police Department and River Falls, Wis., based Excel Power Bikes recently gave her a new electric bike. Espy was dragged in a hit-and-run incident July 2, 2023, and suffered a litany of serious injuries. Her previous e-bike, and main method of transportation, was totaled. “This for me is everything,” Espy said of the new bike. “To protect and serve, how rarely do we think about our police department in those words anymore in these times? I feel so served and protected.” (Elliot Mann / Special to the Pioneer Press)
Elliot Mann portrait
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Barbara Espy is ready to dance again. And this time, she’s inviting everyone to dance along with her.

Last July 2 in downtown Hudson, Wis., Espy was on her e-bike when she was struck and dragged by a hit-and-run driver leaving Independence Day festivities. She suffered catastrophic injuries in the process, requiring a hospital stay of 40 days, in addition to spending another 30 days in a rehabilitation center.

At the time, first responders were unsure she would make it to the morning, let alone walk again.

Since, Espy has undergone an extensive rehabilitation process, and on Tuesday, June 4, is hosting “Music in the Park,” an event she is calling a celebration of growth, healing and most important to her, dancing. The event starts at 7 p.m., featuring music from The 70s Magic Sunshine Band, at Lakefront Park in downtown Hudson.

“I shouldn’t have survived. But I’m not a survivor, I’m an overcomer,” Espy previously said to the Pioneer Press. “A survivor is existing, and not dying, and learning to live with whatever your disabilities are. Overcoming it to me is body, mind and spirit. It’s your attitude.”

For more information about Concerts in the Park, contact the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau at 715-386-8411 or visit hudsonwi.org.

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