Lexington man injured after skydiving accident in Ohio

Lexington man injured after skydiving accident in Ohio

A mistake in the air lands a professional skydiver in the hospital.

29-year-old Justin Hammons, who is from Lexington, crashed Saturday in Middletown, Ohio.

He's a professional skydiver, with more than 2,000 jumps to his credit.

Hammons is now in serious condition at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. He had been in critical condition following the accident at the Middletown Airport.

We're told Hammons was trying to perform a "hook turn" at the time. It's when the diver comes to a running stop while landing the parachute.

Hammons was unable to position himself correctly for landing, and ended up hitting the ground at a high rate of speed.

Emergency crews were called to the airport around five Saturday evening.

Hammons was a member of the Fast Trax Skydiving Team based out of Middletown.

Fellow skydivers say Hammons may have been doing a move he wasn't ready to do, and may have been 200 feet lower than he needed to be before starting to land. They are now calling his survival a miracle.

"It was hard to see your brother hurt, but it's a sport that has its inherent risk," says Dan Paganini, a colleague and friend of Hammons. "We feel for him, we love him dearly. We're praying for him. We all hurt for him. We know he loves this sport. I guarantee he will be back in the sky."

Since the accident, a friend is giving updates on a Facebook page.

She says Hammons suffered a broken jaw and a broken femur among other injuries.

His family and friends are now trying to raise money for Hammons. A fund has been set up in his name at U.S. Bank. They are also organizing a "Jump for Justin" event, with proceeds from skydiving going to help pay Hammons medical bill.