A Las Vegas family is trying to raise money to bring their 6-year-old son home after he was hospitalized and put on life support when their car hit a drunk driver as they were returning from a camping trip in California on Monday .
According to a GoFundMe page set up by Ian Sanchez’s family, his body has suffered too much trauma and is unable to recover. His family makes the heartbreaking decision of when to take their son off life support.
His father Moses told CBS Las Vegas they were driving on Interstate 215 in Murrieta, 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles, when they encountered a car whose driver had hit a wall. Police believe the driver of the other car was under the influence of alcohol.
“I couldn’t stop in time. And I just met him head-on,” Moses said. The entire family, including Ian’s 4-year-old brother Matthew, was rushed to hospital with various injuries following the accident, but all but Ian have since recovered.
Ian was flown to San Diego Children’s Hospital, where his family says he is receiving the best care available.
Ian Sanchez was returning from a camping trip with his family in the early hours of Monday morning when their car crashed into a car that was involved in an accident
According to a GoFundMe page set up for Ian, it is extremely unlikely that he will recover from the trauma caused by the injuries
Injuries Ian has sustained include a critical brain injury and a stroke that resulted in cerebral hemorrhage
“He was the smallest person in the room. But he would make himself appear as the tallest person. The boy we knew and loved. He’s gone,” Moses told the partner. “The ventilators are keeping him alive,” he added.
“I want everyone to remember how beautiful he was. And how he would bring joy to other people,” Moses concluded.
Injuries Ian has sustained include a critical brain injury and a stroke that resulted in cerebral hemorrhage.
At the time of writing, the crowdfunding site has raised nearly $15,000. The goal of the page is $20,000.
“We kindly ask that you give the family the time and space they need to be together for the rest of Ian’s life that remains with us here on earth,” reads a section of the page.
The site went on to describe him as a “true miracle,” adding that he’s overcome so much since the day he was born.
It describes his parents as “loving him infinitely,” adding that they now “must learn how to live life without their precious baby.”
In a heartbreaking interview, Ian’s father Moses said: “I want everyone to remember how beautiful he was. And how he would bring joy to other people
Little Ian is being treated at San Diego Children’s Hospital as his family tries to raise money to bring him back to Las Vegas
The accident happened around 3:15 a.m. Monday. The suspected cause of the crash, Isaiah F. Orona, 26, was arrested at the scene and was also seriously injured in the crash, NBC Palm Springs reports.
Orona was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers at a local hospital. He has since been released from the Riverside County Jail on $50,000 bail. Orona will appear in court on June 13.
Orona is accused of making an unsafe turn in his 2020 Dodge Charger, which caused him to lose control, leading to the three-car collision, police said.
CHP officer Mike Lassig initially described Ian Sanchez’s injuries as “severe”.
The Sanchez family were traveling in their 2017 Kia Sportage, police said. Another person, identified only as a 55-year-old man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the accident.
According to California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Fran Clader, California has seen an increase in DUIs in recent years.
Clader said the rise in the Golden State “reflects a similar trend across the state.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the leading causes of fatalities associated with driving in production vehicles are disruptive driving, speeding, and not using a seat belt.
Statistics seem to point to more deadly outcomes in recent years, although the CHP has been unable to provide an explanation. Both the number of accidents with injuries and the number of victims decreased during the four-year period, although the number of fatalities increased.
Last year, the state launched an elaborate “Don’t Drive Drunk/Don’t Boot Up” campaign.