Thousands following progress of injured Las Vegas food critic

By Richard N. Velotta

Published Friday, Dec. 27, 2013 | 2:49 p.m.

Updated Friday, Dec. 27, 2013 | 4:37 p.m.

Nearly 3,600 people have logged onto a website updating the progress of longtime Las Vegas food critic Max Jacobson, who is laid up in a Las Vegas hospital after being struck by a sports utility vehicle earlier this week in Henderson.

A spokeswoman for Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center said Jacobson remained in critical condition today. He suffered severe head injuries and brain trauma from the accident Monday, according to a family spokeswoman.

Katie Conway, a family friend, said on the CaringBridge website that doctors were continuing to monitor Jacobson’s condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“It's extremely important for him to remain in complete silence and rest so the doctors are not allowing any visitors into the ICU at all,” Conway wrote.

Many of the visitors to the website had left words of encouragement for Jacobson, his wife, Setu, and other family members.

“Setu just asked me to send her love and appreciation to each of you for following Max's progress and for all of your overwhelming support. It means so much to her and Max, and she said to add that it means more than you will ever know,” Conway wrote.

Friends also announced a bank account had been set up to raise money to help defray medical expenses for Jacobson, who will turn 64 on New Year’s Eve and observed his 22nd wedding anniversary on Christmas Day.

The family spokeswoman said an account has been opened at Wells Fargo Bank in Setu Jacobson’s name. Donations can be deposited or wired to any Wells Fargo branch to account number 3110223066 with a routing number of 582506501.

A fundraising event for the family also will be announced next month, the spokeswoman said.

Jacobson, a food critic with Vegas Seven magazine who was formerly the principal food columnist for Las Vegas Weekly and food and wine critic for Vegas Magazine — both affiliated with the Las Vegas Sun — was hit by the westbound SUV around 8 a.m. Monday at Pecos Road and Windmill Parkway, Henderson Police said.

He recently co-authored with fellow critics John Curtas and Al Mancini “Eating Las Vegas,” a guide to 50 Southern Nevada restaurants from five-star-rated establishments to hole-in-the-wall surprises.