BRUSH PRAIRIE, Wash. (KOIN) — Love and support from the community continues to pour in for a Brush Prairie family whose lives were forever changed in a head-on crash along SR-503 last Friday.
Rosa Wilson, 31, and her 5-year-old daughter Juniper were killed in the crash that also critically injured her other children, Elliott and Iona. Around 4 p.m. on March 6, she was driving her minivan along SR-503 when another driver, Kristi Byars, passed in a no-passing zone.
The force of the collision sheared one of the motors completely away from the vehicle.
Byars, 41, was also killed in the crash.
2 drivers, 5-year-old girl killed in SR-503 head-on crash
A family friend of the Wilsons told KOIN 6 News 7-year-old Elliot is awake at the hospital. Over the weekend he had surgery on his leg. Iona, 3, has been in a medically-induced coma. She has a skull fracture and her bones are in fragments, the friend said.
Both children remain in the Intensive Care Unit at a Portland hospital.
The family — including husband/father Brian Wilson — are turning to their faith for strength right now. They shared the following statement with KOIN 6:
“We continue to be overwhelmed at the public’s outpouring of care for our family and your unbelievable generosity. From family and friends to strangers miles away – we have been carried by your prayers and reflections of how this story has impacted you. Please continue to pray for us, we need it.
As Elliot and Iona’s recovery transitions from physical to emotional, the public updates will become more minimal. Their grief journey will be their own story to share someday. And there is a desire on our part to give them a sense of normalcy in the midst of so much loss.
We will continue to update the GoFundMe campaign with news of Iona’s medical recovery and hope to soon be sharing photos of the kids reunited with their beloved cousins.
There are no words to convey the warmth we feel from you and for you. For those of you wondering “What more can I do?” Please read this, it was posted earlier today to Facebook. We can’t think of a more beautiful legacy for Rosa and Junie to have than inspiring others to take your next step of faith and recognize that forgiveness is always worth it.
May God bless you as you have blessed us.”
A GoFundMe account to help the family with their immediate and ongoing needs has collected more than $125,000 at this time.
GoFundMe: Support for Brian, Elliot, Iona Wilson
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Washington State Patrol.
