Baby’s survival in Jasper crash a ‘miracle,’ family says
Medical examiner’s office continues efforts to identify two of the six victims
The brother of an American woman killed in a horrific crash near Jasper earlier this week says it’s a miracle that the baby in the car survived with just a few bruises.
Six people died Aug. 7 in a collision on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park, including two members of a family in a van visiting from Texas and Louisiana.
A statement from Tim Dye, read by an RCMP officer at K-Division headquarters Friday, thanked first responders, medical staff and others who sprang into action after the crash that killed his sister Angela Dye Elkins and her son-in-law Nick Copeland.
Elkins’ husband, Curtis Elkins, and daughter, Sarah Copeland, were taken to Edmonton hospitals in serious condition.
All four people travelling in another vehicle, a Hyundai Kona SUV, were declared dead at the scene. Both vehicles caught fire following the collision.
Dye said that Sarah Copeland, Curtis Elkins and William, the baby, were recovering in hospital. William is Sarah and Nick Copeland’s son.
“It’s truly a miracle that he came through the wreck with nothing more than a few bruises,” he said in the statement, read by RCMP Cpl. Laurel Scott.
“We know there is a long road ahead of us,” Dye’s statement read. “This family came to Canada seeking adventure. The silver lining is that through all of the pain and loss, we know that Angela and Nick were upgraded to an even better adventure.
“God’s faithfulness had been so evident in how so many people have responded.”
The passengers of the other vehicle were identified by a friend as Anand Panwar and Pawan Kathait, who were both Indian nationals working in Banff.
The other two people who died in the SUV were identified on a GoFundMe page as Gelek Wangmo and Ganesh Anala.
Scott said the Edmonton chief medical examiner’s office is still working to identify two of the passengers in the Hyundai.
“Due to the fire that occurred and the possibility that they are not residents of Alberta, this is a complex death investigation,” she said.
She added that RCMP will only provide additional updates if their investigation results in criminal charges.