Mayers recover from car wreck tragedy
The Mayer family, of Ephrata, is recovering from a serious collision that happened over the weekend in Okanogan County.
GRANT COUNTY - Community support has poured in for the Mayer family who is still recovering from a horrific wreck Sunday near Omak.
Sunday afternoon, Laura Mayer and her family were on their way for a family vacation when an Oroville driver crossed the center line. Mayer said the vehicle hit the rear of her truck, but she managed to stay on the road. Mayer looked back to see her parent's truck hit head-on, off the road down a 30-foot embankment.
Robert and Angela Mayer and Laura's nephew suffered minor injuries, but Karen Mayer wasn't so lucky, having to be airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.
Karen spent nearly 32 hours strapped to a back board with a broken neck, family members at her side, "begging her to hold still," Laura wrote. "My loving father steadfast by her side for 48 years stroking her hand and softly singing to her while he is stiff and hunched over from the trauma," Laura wrote on her Facebook page.
"The terror I have felt the past 32 hours, that any moment my mother could move the wrong way and paralyze herself was almost as hopeless as seeing that car drive straight into my parent's truck," she wrote.
Karen had successful neck surgery Monday night and Laura was happy to say with no paralysis.
"She is talking and back to her sweet self this morning (Tuesday)," Laura wrote in a text message.
Karen was moved out of the ICU Tuesday afternoon, Laura said, facing a lengthy recovery.
Laura said her family continues to receive support and prayers from the community.
"I have had lots of phone calls and Facebook messages, it has really helped," she said. "Love my Basin towns."
As the Mayer's world was falling apart the last few days, Laura said she can finally take a deep breath knowing her mother will recover.
The other driver involved, a 67-year-old Oroville woman, died in the crash. Laura said her family feels terrible for the victim and her family.
"We keep talking about the loss of her on her family. I feel for them, someone lost someone they loved," she wrote. "I am just thankful someone was watching over my family in that truck and it wasn't their time to leave all of us."