On Wednesday, December 25th, William Daniel (19 Years Old) and our two friends, Adom and Kyler Anthony(18 and 20 years old), were driving back home to Rogers, Arkansas from Chicago, Illinois when they were struck by another vehicle. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that the other vehicle was driving on Highway 54 when they attempted to cross the highway at Old Bass Road and traveled into the path of Kyler’s car (which was going about 70 miles per hour),totaling both cars. Kyler and Adom were luckily fine, sustaining minor injuries. However, William, who was sleeping in the backseat, was left with a fractured spine, neck, and temporary paralysis leaving him in critical condition.

Weather conditions were so severe that the option of a medical helicopter service wasn’t available, leaving William, Kyler, and Adom to make the 40-minute trip to the University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri.

After surgery on Thursday, December 26th, William thankfully regained some feeling in both of his legs.

William has been a close friend of mine for years, and throughout those years, I’ve seen his dedication to his family and friends. Before William got into this tragic accident, he was walking to work every day to support himself and his family. In the coming weeks, William is going to be staying at a rehabilitation facility relearning how to walk until we can help him heal at home alongside Kyler and Adom. Sadly, the cost of medical bills is already piling up. I’ve been friends with William throughout my entire high school career. Skateboarding is one of his favorite hobbies, and he’s a very talented skater. Most days, William would spend skating around and pushing himself to get better. William has an immense dedication and passion for skateboarding, and with the help and support of everyone, he’s going to be back to skateboarding in no time.