Grand Valley State University student Zach Sompels, 20, gave a thumbs-up sign Friday night.

The gesture may not seem to be a significant event, but after being struck by a car while biking Wednesday, the sign showed Sompels’ improvement, though he is still in the Intensive Care Unit at Spectrum’s Butterworth Hospital.

Sompels, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice, suffered injuries to his spinal cord, clavicle, traumatic brain injury and also required surgery on his pelvis. He was still on a ventilator as of Sunday, and it is unknown when he will be released from ICU. It was reported doctors are estimating up to two years for his full recovery.

The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department did not reply to confirm details of the accident, but Sompels’ roommates, friends and girlfriend relayed their understanding of how the collision occurred, though Sompels is still unable to communicate his perspective of what happened.

Sompels, a Richland native, was on his bicycle turning out of Campus View Townhomes toward campus onto Pierce Street around noon on Wednesday and was struck from behind by a car driving down the same road. The impact threw him from his bike — he was not wearing a helmet at the time. Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported him to to the hospital.

Sompels was on his way to meet Minna Woodward, a GVSU sophomore and his girlfriend of a little more than a year. Woodward said she found out about the accident about a half hour after it happened was hysterical upon hearing the news.

Woodward has visited Sompels every day since, and she said he has shown small improvements so far. Sompels is now able to squeeze hands and gave the thumbs up as means of communicating.

“I hope (the recovery) goes by quickly and there are no speed bumps along the way,” she said.

Nick Dow, one of Sompels’ roommates and a junior at GVSU, said he found out about the accident about 45 minutes after it happened. He has also visited Sompels on a daily basis. Sompels’ parents, siblings and other members of the extended family have been by his side as well.

“He has a good following of people with him,” Dow said. “That’s good to see.”

The road where Sompels was hit is one of the few roads leading to GVSU that does not have a sidewalk or pedestrian lane.

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