Thompson Brothers Progressing After Wreck

Two years ago, things looked pretty grim for Ezra and Sam Thompson.

The brothers from Anderson, who were in a horrific wreck north of Pineville, suffered second- to third-degree burns over 80 percent of their bodies.

Ezra initially was given a 40 percent chance of survival.

Sam was given just a 20 percent chance.

Today, the two are doing well and making progress, their father said.

Ezra and Sam, the sons of Greg and Carol Thompson of Anderson, are undergoing treatment at the Shriners Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Two years ago, on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015, the two were airlifted to the Burn Unit at Mercy Hospital at Springfield after a fiery vehicle accident north of Pineville.

The brothers were traveling southbound on I-49 at approximately 10:30 a.m., when Roy Hurst, 49, of Houston, Mo., lost control of his 2014 Chevrolet pickup truck, rear-ending a trailer attached to the 1991 Isuzu Sidekick driven by Ezra Thompson, 19, and carrying Sam Thompson, 17.

The impact of the crash caused the trailer to puncture the truck’s gas tank. The vehicle, which became engulfed in flames, was

forced into a rollover.

In the past two years, the boys have undergone physical and occupational therapy, which has helped in their recovery. Greg said the two continue to face challenges, but are making progress.

Now, the boys are focusing their care at the Cincinnati Shriners Hospital, which specializes in burns, among other injuries and conditions. Staff members are considered leaders in their fields of burn treatment, pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation, pain management, pediatrics and psychiatry, according to the hospital’s website.

The Shriners Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, is the Shriners facility that specializes most in burns, but the building recently experienced a fire. Officials are rebuilding the structure, Greg said.

The family has filed a liability lawsuit and, on the advice of legal counsel, Greg declined to provide additional details.