Father remains hopeful as his wife and son recover in two hospitals following crash

REXBURG — A mother and her 8-year-old son are recovering in two separate hospitals following a crash on U.S. Highway 20.

Aaron Call told EastIdahoNews.com he watched the entire crash as his wife, Shianne, was driving a Ford F-150 with their son Bekkett inside.

The crash happened around 10:40 a.m. Friday in Madison County. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office reported there were three crashes around the same time. Two of the crashes happened near the same location but were not related. Sgt. Isaac Payne said in a previous interview he believed the wrecks had something to do with road conditions.

RELATED | Deputies respond to three separate crashes on U.S. Highway 20

Aaron said Shianne was going to pick up her dad’s truck in Rexburg. The mom and son were in the truck driving back home to St. Anthony with Aaron following in a vehicle behind them.

“It was snowing and cold. She went over a bridge on Highway 20 by the golf course. I am guessing it was black ice and the truck started to fishtail. She tried to correct it and it started flipping. She was ejected from the truck,” Aaron said.

Aaron said he immediately stopped, ran over and tried to help while calling 911.

“Bekkett got airlifted to Primary Children’s (Hospital). They had him here at EIRMC for the first little bit but his injuries were too bad that they thought he needed to go there (in Utah). He had a puncture wound in his back…broken ribs, punctured lung, lacerated liver, (and a) broken back in two spots,” Aaron explained.

He said Bekkett is currently on a ventilator and as of Monday morning, his son is stable but not making any forward progress. Family members are currently with his son in Utah while Aaron is at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with Shianne, who has similar injuries.

“She had a lot of lacerations all over her body and on her face. She broke eight ribs, punctured her lung, her liver was almost cut in half. She had a lot of internal bleeding. They (doctors) said she almost died because she pretty much was just bleeding out. They had to go in and open her up and stop the bleeding and fix her bleeding,” he said.

Doctors were able to take her off of a ventilator on Sunday and she is awake, Aaron said. He explained doctors might have to do another surgery because Shianne’s shoulder is broken in three places.

“It’s been a roller coaster of emotions but I am hanging in there. I just want them to get better,” Aaron said.

He says he is grateful to the people who stopped and helped when his wife and son were in the accident.

“I want to thank the lady who stopped and helped provide blankets,” Aaron said. “There was a guy…he just climbed into the truck and held my son. That really meant a lot because I was trying to help. My wife got thrown 15 feet from the vehicle. I was trying to run back and forth between her and my son and so it was nice to have him there and comfort him. I just wish I knew what his name was.”

Aaron’s cousin, Mandi Hamilton, has asked for prayers for Aaron’s family on social media. She has included Shianne’s Venmo account @Shiannemary if people are interested in donating to help pay medical bills. Aaron said he would be out of work for a while.

“They (doctors) haven’t really said much on Bekkett. My wife…she is already showing signs of pretty good recovery. She’s stable but not quite out of the woods yet,” Aaron said. “They both got a long road ahead of them.”