Dr. Larry Etling, associate professor of mass media, has relocated to South Georgia Medical Center’s Inpatient Rehab after being involved in a head-on car collision right before Super Bowl XLVI.
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Though an email has been sent out earlier this week saying that he was in room 277, he has been moved to room 286 and can now have visitors.

 He was transferred from Shands hospital in Gainesville, Fla. on April 11, where he ­was being treat­ed for an estimated two months.

 Though he survived the accident, he broke his nose and his leg.

 On Wednesday, he was set to receive a possible date for release, though it is subject to change.

 This professor was not going to allow the accident to claim his life.

 “I knew I was gonna’ survive when I woke up in ICU,” Dr. Etling said.

 He does rehab in the hospital gym every day, excluding Sunday.

 Dr. Etling hopes to be back in the fall and is sad that he will be missing this year’s graduation.

He said one of the best things that could come out of this whole situation is to know that his students care about him.

 “To know that they appreciate what you do,” he said. “You don’t really know if they think you’re doing a good job.”

 He has a message that he wishes to send to send out to those students.

 “Thank you for your support,” he said. “My advice to you is [to] wear your seatbelts.” The seatbelt played a major part in saving his life.

 There’s no word on the female driver that was also involved in the other car, who was said to be driving down the wrong lane.

 The car that Dr. Etling was driving was totaled.

 While he has been away recuperating, the rest of the mass media professors have been stepping in to cover all of his classes.

 Words of encouragement and support have been placed on his office door in the mass media building.