Justin Gabriel, a 26-year-old member of the RunTex family, is in critical condition and on life support at Brackenridge Hospital after sustaining head injuries in a late-night fall Tuesday. Gabriel was with some friends when he fell in a creek bed near his apartment and was knocked unconscious. His friends didn't see what happened and assumed he had gone home.

On Wednesday, the following afternoon, Gabriel was found unconscious in the creek bed after lying there for 14 hours. He was rushed to the hospital with what was described as bleeding in the brain.

Gabriel, who ran at Hays High School in Buda, also ran collegiately at Adams State in Colorado. An infrequent racer, Gabriel has been working at RunTex and coaching several runners in town, including Sarah Mark who visited him in the ICU at Brack on Thursday.

"Justin's father was there," said Mark "and obviously very worried. Right now, Justin's in a coma, and on life support but he can breathe on his own which the doctors said is a good sign. But he bruised his brain stem when he fell and hit his head."

Mark was supposed to meet Gabriel for a track workout Wednesday morning and when he didn't show or answer his phone, she became worried and called several of his friends who told her what had happened the night before.

A website has been set up with updates on his condition. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/justingabriel