Road to recovery

Cameron Carpenter recovering after a serious crash near Montpelier, Idaho

Cameron Carpenter, the 21-year-old son of Jack and Jill Carpenter of Lovell, is recovering after he and two passengers were seriously injured in a crash Saturday, July 11, on State Highway 36 west of Ovid, Idaho.

According to the Idaho State Police, the crash occurred at approximately 10:06 p.m. near mile marker 32 when a westbound 2012 Jeep Wrangler lost its front wheel. The detached wheel struck an eastbound 2016 Hyundai Elantra driven by Carpenter, causing the car to leave the roadway and crash head-on into a tree.

Traveling with Carpenter were his fiancée, Elli Kelsey, and her twin sister, Elise Kelsey, both of Montpelier. Family members said the three were returning home after having engagement photographs taken when the crash occurred.

According to the family, the detached wheel struck the front of the Hyundai near the license plate before sending the vehicle through roadside brush and into the tree. They also said they were told the wheel had apparently not been secured with all of its lug nuts. Idaho State Police have not released the cause of the wheel separating from the Jeep, and the crash remains under investigation.

Family members said Carpenter’s driver’s-side airbag deployed during the impact, while the front passenger airbag did not. A motorist traveling behind the Hyundai stopped immediately to help the occupants before driving to an area with cell phone service to call for emergency assistance.

All three occupants of the Hyundai were transported by ambulance to Bear Lake Memorial Hospital in Montpelier before being airlifted to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello. Idaho State Police said all occupants were wearing seat belts. The driver of the Jeep was not hospitalized.

Carpenter suffered a fracture of the L4 vertebra in his lower back and underwent successful surgery. Elli Kelsey suffered an L3 spinal fracture and was later transferred to the University of Utah Medical Center after physicians determined specialized equipment was needed to perform her surgery safely. Elise Kelsey suffered a severe concussion along with fractures to her hand and wrist.

Despite the violence of the crash, none of the three suffered paralysis. Family members described that outcome as miraculous and expressed gratitude for the emergency responders, medical teams and the many people who have offered prayers, phone calls, messages and other acts of kindness during the difficult time.

The family said Cameron, Elli and Elise face a long recovery but remain grateful for the progress each has already made. Cameron and Elli are hopeful they will still be able to proceed with their planned wedding, although for now their focus remains on healing.

Carpenter is now continuing his recovery at home in Lovell. Although he remains in considerable pain from his injuries, he said he is grateful to be surrounded by family and encouraged by the steady progress he has made.

Carpenter said one of the hardest parts of the recovery has been that he has not yet been able to be with Elli since the accident because both are recovering separately. Even so, the couple continues to hope they will still be able to keep their planned September 5 wedding date if their recoveries allow.

Looking beyond his immediate recovery, Carpenter hopes to return to classes at Brigham Young University-Idaho this fall as originally planned. Until then, he is focused on his rehabilitation and staying connected with Elli through Zoom calls while they wait for the day they can be reunited.