On Monday, July 29th while working the night shift as a heavy equipment operator, life for Joe was drastically changed in an instant. 

As he stood at the top of a 20ft hole next to an excavator, a driver carelessly drove over the orange cones that separated traffic from the construction site, struck a compressor as well as Joe, sending him hurtling 13ft down where his body smashed into a steel cross beam and then continued down another 7ft to where his body finally made impact with the dirt.  It took first responders from multiple depts more than an hour to get to him and then more than another 30 mins to extract his broken body from the hole via the rescue basket.

The dual impacts resulted in 20 broken ribs, punctured lungs, a compound fracture of his right arm, a broken leg and multiple broken vertebrae.

As his adult daughter, I don't say it lightly when I call him the hardest working man I have ever known. For over 30 years, he has worked in the grueling construction field, operating heavy machinery and pushing his body physically and now, at 54 years old. As a man that has always done whatever it takes to ensure his family is taken care of, he's been known to take a job hours away because he goes where the work is.  

As he lies in his hospital bed, his biggest concern is for his family. With tears in his eyes and with labored breaths, he struggles to find the words to express how he feels about his accident impacting his family.

He's the type of man that would give you the shirt off his back, his last dollar, a ride AND make you laugh in the process. To know him is to like him. He's a devoted Husband to his amazing & supportive Wife, Stefani, and a Father to his two youngest children, Maya (15) and Joel (12).

He's got many surgeries in his future and a difficult road to recovery and your prayers and good thoughts are much appreciated. He's tough as nails and most definitely a fighter but even the toughest of the tough need help at times. While insurance money will eventually come in, your dollars will be going to assist Stefani and the kids make the 130-mile round-trip trek from their home to the hospital he will be in for the weeks to come as well as any living expenses they'll incur in doing so.

Thank you so much for all of your love, thoughts, prayers and support.

Check back as we'll update with his progress!

News article of accident