For my wife, my mother, and my father
Donation protected
Our lives were changed forever on August 11, 2023 when a driver hit our vehicle head-on on Highway 4, going back to the Bay Area from Yosemite National Park.
I was driving my parents, wife, and two young children when out of no where another car was in my lane, heading straight towards me. By the time I realized and tried to swerve away, it was already too late. I knew that was it. I saw death and I accepted it. It was over and it was guaranteed but at least it would be a fast death at 60mph. The collision was loud and I can remember the airbag covering my eyes before I could even blink. This was all captured on a dash camera (link below).
After the collision I immediately realized I was alive, and instinctively the first thing in my mind was to save my family from the car, fearing that on a 65mph highway another vehicle might collide into the wreck or the car would catch on fire. It was such a relief to me that when I rushed to remove my two children (ages 2 and 4) from the car, none of them were crying. They didn’t know what was going on and there were no signs they were in pain. They ended up not having injuries other scratches.
My parents, both in their 70’s, and wife did not fare as well as my children and I. My dad is still in the hospital as of 9/10/23, one month after the accident. My mom was discharged two weeks after the accident. Both had major injuries to their intestines and multiple bone fractures in their upper body. My wife had major organ damages and fractures to her spine. All had internal bleeding and had to have emergency surgeries to save their lives. We were so lucky that my wife was not paralyzed since her spine fractures missed her nerves by millimeters. She had spine surgery to implant metal rods to prevent her from being in a wheelchair the rest of her life and was discharged a week after the accident.
As for myself, I only realized that I had fractures in my foot and dislocation of my big toe, along with non-life threatening injuries to my upper body from the ER visit.
It is still unknown when my father will be discharged, and my mother will now be living with my family in San Jose. My mom and wife are both still unable to function normally at home, and currently I am taking care of everyone while healing from my injuries, with temporary help from family visiting far away.
It was reported that the other driver was in his 20’s and died from the accident and I do not expect much from his insurance to cover a fraction of the medical expenses and the care to just have a basic life for my wife and parents. My parents were living independent healthy lives in Washington state before the accident but now they will be living with me so that I can assist them for the rest of their lives, and I will be hiring help once our visiting family leaves to help them with basic life functions. My wife had her whole life ahead of her, to raise our children with me, but now we celebrate that she can get out of bed on her own and take a few steps. I have donated many times to this fundraising platform and never thought I would be seeking help here as I am the only income earner in the family.
I thank the Good Samaritans who helped us after the tragic accident. I thank the first responders and medical staff at Memorial Medical Center and Doctor’s Medical Center both in Modesto, CA for saving my family’s lives. I cannot believe there are so many good people in this world.
My wife: Hang Nguyen, 30
My parents: Chi Tran and No Nguyen both in their 70’s
Thank you for your generosity and please be careful out there.
Quang Tran
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/three-people-killed-in-head-on-traffic-collision-on-highway-4/
Organizer
Quang Tran
Organizer
San Jose, CA