Local family gets a wave of support from community after traumatizing accident in June

Saturday, June 22, six people were involved in a three-vehicle head-on collision, severely injuring three of them, on U.S. 93 south of Kalispell.

One of those vehicles involved the Scarberry family, Plains locals. Kaile works as radiologic technologist in the Clark Fork Valley Hospital, and her husband, Jeremy, is a contract welder. Their 3-year-old son, Colton, was also involved in the collision as was Kaile’s uncle, Steve. Kaile was luckily unharmed, however her son Colton fractured his skull and lower leg. Steve suffered a broken sternum and multiple ribs.

Jeremy, however, got the worst of the damage. He was the one driving the vehicle at the time of the crash and had severe internal bleeding due to multiple complex fractures to his pelvis and lacerations to his spleen. He also has several broken ribs, a broken scapula, fractured neck, and two small brain bleeds. He was taken by air transport from Kalispell to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Colton was discharged June 25 and is doing well as was Steve. Jeremy’s situation, though improving, is still difficult. By June 26, he was talking and breathing on his own, though he had pneumonia from being on the ventilator for so long. June 27, he had surgery to repair his pelvis, and he is expected to stay there for another one or two weeks. Doctors are optimistic, though, and estimate that he should make a full recovery, however the whole ordeal has been traumatic on the family, not only to their lives, but also to them monetarily.

Soon after the accident, two of Kaile’s coworkers decided to step up and help the family, in traditional Plains fashion. Keaton Jones and Katie Cole decided to start an account that anyone interested in helping, could make a donation.

Keaton contacted Erica Carter at Rocky Mountain Bank and they started an account that is open to donation for the family. Because Kaile and Colton traveled to Seattle to be with Jeremy, the three also set up a debit card for the Scarberrys so that they could access the money immediately while they are out of town, for food, gas, or whatever they need.

The hospital staff has also been donating their paid time off to Kaile to help the family as well. If you are interested in helping the Scarberrys the account for the family is still open at the Rocky Mountain bank, on the main street of Plains, and are still accepting donations.