Family seeks help following man’s death after car crash

When Richard “Rick” Kelly died Sunday due to complications from a chain-reaction crash Nov. 3, it left his household without its sole breadwinner, prompting family and friends to start an online fundraising effort to help with costs not covered by insurance.

Kelly, 63, was one of two people hurt in a crash on state Highway 500 near Interstate 205 early in the evening on Nov. 3. Another driver was merging onto Highway 500 in heavy traffic and struck the rear end of another car, triggering a chain reaction that ultimately involved four vehicles, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The crash left Kelly with broken shoulder blades, a dislocated right shoulder, a broken neck vertebra, a shattered jaw, a shattered ankle and bleeding in his brain, according to his family’s online fundraising page.

When he did not wake up following surgery, doctors did more tests and found he had suffered a series of strokes and was unlikely to regain consciousness. His daughter, Victoria Kelly, said he was taken off life support in keeping with his wishes.

Rick Kelly was a truck driver for Kool Pak for many years and had been living in Vancouver for the past 22 years, his daughter said. His funeral was Wednesday.

He was always giving of himself and his time, she said.

“His phrase was always ‘No problem.’ There would be something, and it was always like, ‘No problem, no problem,’ ” she said.

Family friends set up the fundraising account, at www.gofundme.com/jr9acwzw, which had raised about $2,800 as of Wednesday evening.

The driver that caused the crash was ticketed for following too closely, the state patrol said, and is not facing any criminal charges because investigators did not find any criminal components to the case, such as speeding or intoxicants.