On Feb. 4, Jett Weinstein, 17 and his friend Jaxson Elliott, 16 were driving back from a snowboarding trip in Flagstaff when tragedy hit. The accident has left the community devasted.
Weinstein and Elliot were passing through Cordes Junction on the I-17, at milepost 259, when their vehicle started to drift. Authorities believe one of their tires blew. The car then hit a guardrail on the shoulder of the road, resulting in it impaling the car. Elliott was found dead on the scene.
Weinstein, a senior and athlete at Mountain Ridge High School, survived the crash but suffered with severe injuries and several broken bones. He was flown to a Phoenix hospital, where reportedly he was taken in under critical condition and into emergency surgery. As a result, his leg needed to be amputated.
Friends are family are still in shock and have been looking for ways to support the families of the victims. A GoFundMe has been set up as a way for the family to focus on Jett’s healing process and to help relieve some of the stress for the family.
As of Feb. 15, the GoFundMe has reached almost 600 donations, totaling $33,748.
Since the accident, Weinstein is now in stable condition, and he is reported to be awake and alert. He is expected to be moved out of ICU soon. He still faces several low-risk surgeries, and has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but his family and friends are just so thankful he survived.
Mountain Ridge High School Principal David Vines sent a letter home to families regarding the incident:
“Please join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of everyone affected,” Vines said in the letter. “Our school community is deeply saddened by this loss, but we feel fortunate to belong to the Mountain Ridge family, where we can help each other through difficult times.”
The school brought in additional counselors to support students and staff after the loss.
To support Jett Weinstein, visit bit.ly/3SJTXQD.