Idaho man injured in US-30 crash a lover of ‘engines, nature and family’

IDAHO FALLS — Wyatt Annis has been in the intensive care unit at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center since he was involved in a crash near his hometown of Filer.

The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m., near the intersection of US Highway 30 and North 1900 East — roughly one mile from his home, according to his mother, Emily Thomas.

“He’s doing pretty well, considering the injuries,” Thomas told EastIdahoNews.com. “It is going to be a really, really long road.”

Wyatt, 19, was transported by air ambulance from Filer to EIRMC, where he was rushed into emergency surgery for a brain bleed and cranial swelling, Thomas said. Now, he is in a medically-induced coma, with tubes feeding him and helping him breathe.

Among his injuries, Wyatt suffered a fracture of the occipital bone — at the bottom of the back of the skull.

“It was basically shattered,” Thomas said.

In order for the fracture to properly heal, doctors have attached a stabilizing neck halo to Wyatt’s skull and shoulder. He will have to wear the halo for at least six weeks.

“There is a good chance that, with brain trauma like this, he will have to be sent to a rehab facility,” Thomas said. “(The doctors) said, he’ll probably never live a normal life again.”

The good news is, Wyatt survived the serious crash, and doctors do not believe he sustained longterm brain damage. Still, Thomas added, the road to recovery will span a year-plus, and will include Wyatt having to re-learn motor functions — like walking.

Wyatt Annis | Courtesy Emily Thomas

According to Thomas, the crash occurred when Wyatt, after stopping at a stop sign, was attempting to cross US-30 and was hit broadside by a vehicle traveling on the highway.

The truck he was driving at the time, a 1986 Toyota, was purchased by his grandfather, Brad Asher, when Wyatt was 10. Asher had recently given the truck to Wyatt, and the two were working to rebuild it.

According to a GoFundMe, posted by Wyatt’s aunt, Colleen Asher, working on engines was something Wyatt had long been interested in.

“Wyatt, our family’s only nephew and grandchild, loves anything with an engine,” the post says. “From the time he was learning to talk, he was constantly asking mechanical questions and counting the days until he could get his driver’s license. Whether behind the wheel, under the hood or talking shop at the auto parts store he worked at, automobiles aren’t just a hobby for Wyatt — they’re a core part of who he is.”

Thomas said her son and her father had, in the days prior to the crash, replaced the truck’s transmission — a major accomplishment for Wyatt.

“They’ve just, kinda, been slowly working on it,” she said.

But the truck was a total loss in the crash.

Wyatt’s 1986 Toyota pickup, which he and his grandfather, Brad Asher, were rebuilding. | Courtesy Emily Thomas

Since the crash, Wyatt parents have taken up residence in Idaho Falls. Thomas is staying in her family’s camper on the EIRMC campus, while Wyatt’s father, Cory Annis, is staying with friends.

“Thankfully, we have some pretty good accommodations — for now,” Thomas said.

The GoFundMe, which has surpassed its original goal of $5,000, is not meant to cover lodging, though, according to Thomas. Any money raised will be used to cover medical expenses. As of noon Thursday, the crowd-funding efforts have raised $7,755.

In addition to the GoFundMe — which can be found here — Thomas has created a Venmo account dedicated to the medical bills. She said that anyone who would like to donate without using GoFundMe can contact the family through the GoFundMe page.

Thomas and Cory have been taken aback by the support they have received.

“Until you’re put in this position, you really don’t know how generous people are,” she said. “It’s really just kind of blown us away.”

Wyatt, she added, lived a “perfectly normal 19-year-old life” prior to the crash, and she is hopeful he will be able to reclaim as much of that as possible. But she realizes there have already been so many positives.

“He’s alive, and we are very thankful for that,” Thomas said. “There’s definitely a lot of positivity — a lot of prayers are being answered, little by little. All we can do is just keep hoping and praying that he makes a full recovery.”