'It's heartwarming and it's hard'; Parents of man seriously injured in ATV crash thank rescuers

MOAB — The family of a 29-year-old man who was seriously injured in an Oct. 26 ATV accident is grateful for a group of strangers who took their son to safety.

The Crazy family lives in Colorado, but their son, Joe, along with his dog, Copper, goes to Moab to find trails.

“He had never been to Hell's Gate, and he tried, and he couldn't get up, and a jeep (driver) drove by and said, 'Give some gas,' and he tried again, and then he fell down, and then The four-wheeler came over him,” Joe's mother, Kelly Weda, said.

She said he had his helmet on, but had no movement or feeling from his chest.

“It's an incomplete spinal cord injury,” said his father, Rob Weda. “The legs are very likely to be permanently paralyzed, and they don't know how far the arms will go.”

He has undergone surgeries that his family and doctors hope will help him recover. He's a welder, so they're especially hoping he'll use his hands again.

Vedas said watching the videos of his son's rescue is difficult.

“It's heartwarming and it's hard,” Kelly Weda said. “People send us pictures of him lying there. It's hard. It's really hard to see.”

A group of strangers, including auto shop owner Scott Huntsman, followed the instructions of first responders and formed a human chain to carefully move Joe Wada into the bucket, so they wouldn't aggravate his injuries.

“The skill it takes and just their willingness, they didn't bat an eye to help our son,” Rob Weda said. “So very grateful, but it's heartbreaking to see your son really hurt like that.”

The parents said their son remembers a bumpy ride in the Life Flight helicopter that required navigating extremely tight spaces. He asked his parents to thank those who helped rescue him.

“He said, 'Say the names,' which were Darlene and Otto and Scott,” Rob Weda said. “He is overwhelmed with gratitude.”

His family said they are grateful for how Utahns responded to their son's situation, including the Grand County Sheriff's Office, which received his dog when Joe was in a freak accident.

The crazy family said Joe has a long road to recovery.

“Usually with a spinal cord injury, it affects pretty much anything below where you have the injury, so, they're very good at keeping hope alive,” Rob Weda said. “There are cases where a full recovery is made.”

Donations can be made to Joe Wade for his surgery and treatment gofundme.com/f/joe-weida-and-the-weida-family*.

*KSL.com does not guarantee that the money deposited in the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you intend to make deposits into the Account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.