ELMIRA, Idaho — The community is rallying around an area family after a devastating car accident Nov. 22 near Elmira left a youth dead and her mother and brother seriously injured.
Phillip Siers, whose sister, Amanda, was critically injured in the crash and niece Amelia was killed, launched a GoFundMe page to help the family cover already-mounting medical expenses. Siers said the family's last name is not being released publicly at this time to allow them to focus on healing and grieving the loss of his niece.
Also injured in the crash were his nephew, Patrick, a family friend and a Boundary County man whose pickup collided head-on with a Ford Edge in which the family was driving.
As of Saturday evening, the crowd-sourcing campaign had surpassed its initial $50,000 goal, raising $71,872.
"We are heartbroken and overwhelmed by the weight of this loss and the challenges ahead," Siers said in on the campaign's page. "Amanda and her son have a long road to recovery, and the medical bills for their surgeries and care are already mounting."
Initial costs from the ambulance to transport his family to the hospital, coupled with funeral arrangements to honor his niece's memory, are beyond what the family can bear alone.
Funds raised by the campaign will go toward emergency medical expenses, ongoing care for his sister and nephew and funeral costs for his niece.
"Your generosity and prayers mean the world to us as we navigate this heartbreak," Siers wrote. "We are so grateful for your compassion and kindness in helping our family during this time of immense need. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Siers told the Daily Bee that his sister has been moved out of the ICU but has a long road ahead in her recovery at the Spokane hospital. His nephew, Patrick, is expected to be released from the hospital in the next few days.
"We are all very grateful for everyone’s support. It has been incredible to see the outpouring of kindness from our community," he told the Daily Bee. We are truly in awe and deeply appreciate it."
The trio were among those injured in a two-vehicle head-on collision Friday morning near Elmira. Idaho State Police said that a 61-year-old male from Moyie Springs was southbound on the highway in a 2011 Dodge Ram pickup. The man, in an attempt to pass multiple slower-moving vehicles in front of him, moved into the northbound lane where he collided head-on with the Ford Edge driven by a 33-year-old female from Otis Orchards, Wash.
Click here for more information or to donate.
To read the full story, visit our news partners at the Bonner County Daily Bee.
