Andrew Yates, left, speaks about the condition of his daughter, Chloe Yates, 17, who was critically injured in a head-on collision on I-5 the evening of October 9, while Shannon Yates, Chloes mother, right, listens to her husbands statement during a press conference at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Friday October 20, 2017. (Ariane Kunze/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
Shannon Yates knew something was off the night of Oct. 9 because her daughter was late getting home from class.
Yates used the “Find my iPhone” app to see that her daughter, Chloe Yates, 17, was on Interstate 5 near Northeast 134th Street, still not too close to their Woodland home. Five more minutes passed, so she checked again. Her daughter was in the same spot.
Yates’ husband, Andrew Yates, looked at the Waze app on his phone to see if there was traffic. Instead, he saw there was a car crash. He called Chloe, but she didn’t answer.
Seemingly seconds later, he got a call from a Washington State Patrol trooper.
The officer told the Yateses that their daughter was in a car crash and that she had a fractured arm, but was in stable condition. The officer said she was on her way to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, and they should make their way over there.
“Bless his heart for lying to us,” Andrew Yates said.
Chloe did have a fractured arm. She also had open fractures in her right tibia and both her right and left femur, where those bones broke through the skin. She also broke multiple ribs, toes, her left collarbone and an ankle.
She was on her way home after a class at Clark College, where she’s in the Running Start program through Woodland High School. Around 8:40 p.m., her 2000 Volkswagen Jetta was struck head-on by a 2011 Ford Escape being driven south in the northbound lanes by Seth J. Cusick, 43.
Cusick was pronounced dead at the scene.
Long recovery
On Friday, Yates’ parents and her doctors held a press conference at PeaceHealth Southwest to give an update on Chloe’s health. She is looking at a minimum of six months to recover from all her injuries, according to Dr. Kevin Kahn, an orthopedic traumatologist. He said Yates could be standing and walking in possibly eight to 12 weeks, but she’ll have extensive physical therapy ahead of her.
“She’s young, she’s healthy and she’s motivated,” Kahn said.
Kahn said all of Yates’ wounds are closed and fractures are fixed at the moment. She underwent surgery the night of the crash and the day after.
“It’s remarkable she has no significant injury to her head, neck or spine,” Kahn said.
She breathed through a tube at first. After six days in intensive care, she was moved to the orthopedic surgery unit. Andrew Yates said that since the hospital doesn’t have a pediatrics section, they’re waiting on approval to transfer her to another hospital, which could happen next week. She’ll return to PeaceHealth Southwest to meet with her doctors, he said.
He also said the main issue right now is trying to manage his daughter’s pain. Things such as coughing, taking a deep breath or reaching for a glass have been difficult for Chloe.
Family members have been with her every day, including her mother, who has slept there every night. She’s had friends stop by.
Chloe is talking, but she doesn’t remember the crash. A few days after the crash, she asked to see a photo of her car. Her parents hesitated, but decided to let her see the mangled Volkswagen in hopes it would show her how lucky she is to be alive.
To help
The family has a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with medical expenses at gofundme.com/chloeyates, and there’s also a Chloe Yates recovery fund at Columbia Bank, 782 Goerig St., Woodland.
Her father said Chloe is still alive and on the path to recovery thanks to countless people. On Friday, he thanked everyone from first responders to the team of 80 to 100 hospital staffers, nurses and doctors who have worked with his daughter. He said a friend was driving behind her the night of the crash and pulled over and talked with her until the emergency medical services team arrived, and a state patrol officer who responded rode in the ambulance with her.
“After we got the call from the state patrol, I called my mother, who lives near PeaceHealth, to head over because we didn’t want Chloe to be alone,” Shannon Yates said. “It’s a long drive from Woodland. She wasn’t alone. There was so much love from everyone in that moment after the crash. The officer who rode in the ambulance with her came back the next day to check on her.”
Andrew Yates said the response from the Woodland community has been overwhelming, with people reaching out to offer help and setting up fundraisers to help with medical expenses. He also said it’s a miracle that Chloe’s alive.
“We’re drawing strength from the fact that we still have her,” he said. “She’s still here. I still get to kiss her forehead everyday.”
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