Two women face long rehab after icy crash

Families of two Clarkston women, Jenna Hawkins and Allie Burns, injured in a car crash Dec. 29 are seeking donations through GoFundMe campaigns to help with medical and travel expenses associated with recovery.

The crash happened around 9 a.m. on U.S. Highway 95 near mile marker 170 outside New Meadows.

Burns’ mother, Jesse Semmes, said the car the two were traveling in hit a patch of slush over ice, and spun into oncoming traffic where it was struck on the passenger side of the vehicle.

Following the crash, Hawkins and Burns were both transported via Life Flight to Boise. Hawkins suffered broken bones in both legs, a broken arm, broken pelvis, two collapsed lungs, a lacerated liver, and crushed right foot, which may need to be amputated.

JD Hawkins, Jenna Hawkins’ father, said his daughter has been in great spirits despite her injuries.

“She’s been FaceTiming us and she’s just thankful to be alive. We would like to thank the community for the overwhelming amount of love, support and donations toward Jenna’s recovery,” he said. “She could be in the hospital for up to 12 weeks. Then a very long road of rehab.”

JD, who is a tattooist, will be advertising a flash special to help with travel expenses, he said, and has a Venmo, @JD-Hawkins-5, in addition to the GoFundMe, where donations can be made to help with the cost of his weekly trips to the hospital in Boise.

Hawkins and Burns have been in adjoining rooms at the hospital and visiting with each other every day, wrote Hawkin’s mother, Heather Perigen, in a message to The Lewiston Tribune.

“Jenna is having the most amazing attitude about this whole thing,” she said. “She is so polite to all the staff. Her biggest concern was always for Allie.”

Burns suffered a brain bleed, multiple fractures in her pelvis, a punctured lung and three fractured ribs.

Semmes said in a message to the Tribune that her daughter is making great strides in her recovery and is expecting to be released from the hospital in a few days. She will complete physical therapy in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley so her family can assist with her recovery.

“While both girls faced life threatening injuries,” Semmes said, “(Allie) will incur some costs, but she would much rather people focus their charitable contributions to Jenna. These two are warriors in every sense of the word.”

Sun may be contacted at rsun@lmtribune.com or on Twitter at @Rachel_M_Sun. This report is made in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.