‘Blown away’: Community comes together after B.C. family of 3 hurt in car crash

Members of a Cranbrook, B.C., family, badly injured in a car crash in January, say they are blown away by the support they’ve received from across Canada.

Three members of the Thorne family suffered serious injuries on Jan. 3, following a head-on collision on icy Highway 3 near Moyie.

A driver in a GMC Sierra, heading east, lost control on a corner and hit the Thornes’ car.

“Buddy went over and I had no choice but to full-on hit him,” dad Will Nobel told Global News.

“I tried to take the brunt of the impact, but a jeep versus a half-ton, you don’t win very much.”

Gabby Fraser, who is only six years old, suffered an injured neck and a brain bleed.

Now, after 32 days in the hospital, the family is back home and speaking out about the community support.

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Community steps up to support Cranbrook family after devastating crash

A fundraising drive, launched by Top Crop Garden, Farm & Pet, in Cranbrook, began accepting money for the family.

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Across the Kootenays, individuals and businesses stepped up, reaching the original goal of $10,000, 18 times over, for a total of $180,000.

“Absolutely blown away,” mom Mindy Thorne said.

“It’s amazing what humans will do to support another human… Life would be a lot more difficult if we didn’t have the support that we’ve got.”

All three members still have a lot of healing to do.

Nobel sustained severe injuries to his legs and Thorne shattered both of her wrists, requiring five external pins.

Meanwhile, Fraser is starting to sound more like herself — a bubbly six-year-old full of life and questions.

“She had so many guardian angels looking out for her that night,” Thorne said.

“We all had some, but I think Gabby outweighed us all in terms of miracles.”

Cranbrook RCMP are waiting for the findings from the collision analyst’s report before determining whether charges will be considered.

But the family is only looking forward.

“No limbs were lost, we are all going to walk away together as a family and… there are no words that can begin to say how grateful I am for everybody out there,” Thorne said.

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