Car accidents happen all the time. In fact, over 2.35 million individuals in the United States alone are injured or disabled a year from accidents, with an additional 37,000 fatalities. Despite the high prevalence of accidents, one typically doesn’t expect to run into to someone that they know on the scene.
However, Texas Firefighter Aaron VanRiper, on call because of an accident, ran into with someone he knew– his family. More specifically, his wife Amber, and 7-year-old son Jonathan, had collided their car into an oncoming pickup truck.
VanRiper was relieved that his family was fine; he said that the accident looked very bad. He says that he isn’t sure how his wife and son survived the wreckage. Immediately, VanRiper panicked. Who wouldn’t panic after seeing a horrific accident involving one’s family? Firefighters are humans too.
VanRiper thanks God for the relative well-being of his family. His son is currently in the hospital, being visited by friends and family, including himself.
Despite the fact that he and his wife both hold full-time jobs, neither has health care insurance. Therefore, a family friend set up a GoFundMe page to help the VanRiper family out. The goal is $125,000, which has almost been reached.
Pop star Taylor Swift got word about the campaign, and purportedly contributed a cool $15,000 herself, which surely was generous on her part. Her publicist wouldn’t confirm or deny the rumor, but a person with knowledge of the situation told Buzzfeed that it was indeed her.