On the evening of Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Frances Claire Rash was doing what she does every day—walking her dog just blocks from her home around 5:30 PM.

As she prepared to turn the corner toward home, screeching tires and the sound of a vehicle collision broke the quiet afternoon. When Claire turned to see what happened, an erratic driver exiting a nearby parking lot accelerated directly toward her. The vehicle jumped the curb onto the grass, barreling straight toward Claire and her dog.

Thinking quickly, Claire dropped her dog's leash to give her pet a chance to escape and ran toward a nearby building for cover. Tragically, before she could reach safety, the vehicle struck her, throwing her several feet across the grass before crashing into the building itself. The driver then backed up and attempted to strike another pedestrian across the street before crashing into a tree, disabling the vehicle. The suspect fled on foot and was quickly apprehended and arrested by the Grand Forks Police Department. Claire's dog was unharmed, but Claire took the full brunt of this horrific attack.

Claire was rushed to the hospital with extensive, severe trauma to her lower body and torso. Her primary injuries include a compound fracture of the tibia and a splintered upper tibia joint, along with severe road rash and deep bruising across her feet, legs, back, and arms.

On September 24, Claire underwent a lengthy and complex emergency surgery to repair and reattach bone and soft tissue. She faces the possibility of additional surgeries in the coming weeks. Medical professionals anticipate Claire will be completely non-weight-bearing and disabled for at least 90 days, with an intensive rehabilitation path expected to take 9 to 12 months for a full recovery.

How Your Support Helps

Claire faces a steep physical and financial uphill climb. The immediate obstacles go far beyond the hospital stay:

Surgical & Medical Expenses: Covering emergency surgery, hospital stays, medication, and ongoing medical oversight.

Extensive Physical Therapy: Months of dedicated rehabilitation to help her regain mobility and walk again.

Accessible Housing Relocation: Claire currently resides in a third-floor walk-up apartment. Because she will be non-ambulatory for months, she cannot return to her home and must secure accessible, ground-level housing.

Living Expenses & Medical Transportation: Assisting with daily necessities and accessible rides to specialized appointments while she is unable to work.

Claire’s quick instincts saved her dog’s life, and we are profoundly grateful she survived. Now, she needs her community behind her as she begins the long journey toward healing.

Any donation, no matter the amount, will directly ease Claire's financial burden so she can focus entirely on her physical recovery. If you are unable to donate at this time, sharing this link with friends, family, and social networks means the world to Claire and our family.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, thoughts, prayers, and generosity.