Rural communities across southern Alberta are coming together to support a family from Duchess who lost two family members in a highway collision in the U.S. earlier this month.
Kelly Larson’s second home is now at the hospital in Medicine Hat. That’s where his brother Kyle Larson is recovering after a collision in South Dakota that claimed the life of his wife and son.
“He’s recovering from his injuries. The loss for him is unbearable,” said Kelly on Tuesday.
Kyle was driving with his wife Darsey and their 14-year-old son Koye on July 3 when the collision happened.
Police said the family’s truck was hit head-on by another pickup that crossed the centre line east of Colome.
Police in South Dakota said charges are pending against the driver of the truck that hit the Larsons.
Darsey and Koy were killed in the crash and Kyle was taken to a hospital in Sioux City with life-threatening injuries. He was transferred to Medicine Hat hospital on the weekend.
“It’s a very hard loss for everybody,” Kelly said. “You never think you’re going to have a major tragedy like this happen to the ones you love.”
Kelly described his sister-in-law Darsey as a community volunteer who was always there to help.
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“She was so outgoing and energetic. She would light up a room when she came in. Just an amazing person,” Kelly said.
The Larsons also have an 11-year-old daughter who wasn’t on the trip with them at the time of the collision.
Buffy Best is a family friend and manager of the Brooks ball team that Koye played on with her son.
“It’s still a state of shock,” Best said. “It doesn’t really seem real. It’s so much and it’s so big.”
Best said she remembers Koye as a kid with a big personality.
“He was always polite. He was always happy to shake your hand when you met him. He was a kind kid,” she said.
She added the Larson family was very generous with their time and donations when her family lost their home in a house fire last year.
“They are kind. They are involved and they are wonderful citizens,” Best said. “They are active in 4H and in hockey and baseball and anything in the community. They are always helping people.”
A Larson Family Benefit Auction Facebook page has been set up to help the family.
Kelly said on Tuesday around $270,000 in donated items have poured in from people across both western Canada and South Dakota.
The kids on the ball team that Koye played on are also donating their time to the cause.
“It will be anything from helping put up a fence or work in the garden or whatever,” Best said. “These kids are farm kids. They are hard workers and they’re active.”
Best said she’s amazed by both the comments and the number of items being donated on the online auction.
“They are going to need help. There’s going to be a long road ahead of them and they were so helpful in our community that everyone is just so ready to give back to them,” she said. “They are very good people. Very honest and hard-working. We are going to miss them forever.”
Kelly said it’s the community support that is helping his brother get through this.
“I think the tragedy has left a pretty big hole in the community,” he said. “There’s been an amazing amount of support from the community. I can’t express how overwhelmed I am by the support the community has given them.
“The auction took on a whole life of its own. It keeps going and going.”
Buck Christman, a longtime friend of the family, said the auction is currently live online until July 17.