After surviving 71-vehicle pile-up, Colorado family gets kindness from strangers
The Chersevani family is back home after surviving a massive pile-up on Interstate 70 near Goodland, Kansas last week. But things have changed.
"Mentally, still getting better I think," said Skylar Chersevani. Eight months pregnant, she's bruised and injured from the crash, but signs are good with her pregnancy.
The family of four was on its way to New Jersey to visit relatives. Eddie Chersevani serves in the Army Reserve after spending several years full-time with the Army and is due to enter training two weeks after the new baby is expected.
The Chersevanis have had a rough stretch when it comes to living arrangements. They left Colorado Springs after living in an area where they said the crime was too much. That was followed by occupying a rent-to-own place in Dumont. Eddie did a great deal of work, but the landlord ended up losing the home and the Chersevanis say they were out the money they'd put into the place. Only several weeks ago did the family find a place to rent in Bailey. With no other family in Colorado, they chose to head back to New Jersey for family help after the baby boy was expected to be born.
The March 14 pile-up of 71 vehicles in a dust storm left eight people dead and 46 injured. The Chersevanis are out of a car but thankful to be alive.
"We don't care about any of the stuff, it's just- our kids could have been gone in the blink of an eye," Skylar said.
Hailey is 5 and sustained some minor injuries from her car seat. Luciano is 3 and seems to be the least injured. Skylar has seatbelt-related and other injuries and Eddie's hand was hurt breaking the window on another vehicle to try to get crash victims freed from their vehicle.
They were slowing down in the high winds when a blinding dust storm crossed the highway.
"A huge gust of wind came up and kicked up so much dirt. It was probably about a good two or three feet worth of visibility for about two seconds and then all lights cut out, I couldn't see anything," said Eddie.
He braked, but there was not enough time to prevent colliding with a Ford Mustang. The way they ended up protected them.
"We kind of got wedged right there," said Skylar, of their position with trucks around them.
The truck blocked most additional collisions. The couple believes they would have been dead if not for that truck, having heard four or five more vehicles slam into that truck seconds later.
Eddie climbed out of their totaled car and tried to help, running over to two men in a pickup.
"I remember punching open the glass of the passenger side front window and I got two guys out, both covered in blood all over their face- everywhere," he said.
In some other vehicles, he rapped on the window and got no response, not knowing if the people were already out or deceased. He managed to grab a crowbar that happened to be lying in the grass and used that to help get people free. But he had to turn back to his own family.
"She handed me two of the kids through the window, pulled them out, pulled the dog out, helped her out," said Eddie. An ambulance was soon there. In the ambulance with the family was a bloodied and confused man. With so many injured ambulances were filled with people.
Skylar and Eddie were still worried about the fetus after such a strong impact.
"We were driving for a decent amount of time before I finally felt him kick and me and Eddie just started sobbing," said Skylar.
Further testing at the hospital showed good news. And all were doing fine. The couple is very thankful for the rescuers and hospital workers. They lost all their possession and Skylar's blouse was torn. Donors found clothing for the couple and with concern about a pregnant Skylar spending the night on a cot at the shelter set up for crash victims, the hospital's CEO invited them to sleep in her basement for the night.
The next day, an advocate drove them home four hours to Colorado.
The kindness didn't end there, however. Visiting Evergreen Pediatrics in Evergreen for a follow-up, office manager April Pearson felt the family needed a hand. She reached out to various moms' groups and posted to social media about the family's plight. Soon, clothing and other items, including a kennel for the dog, rolled in.
"I'm having a hard time trying to keep up with all the messages trying to help everybody out," Pearson said. She herself had been in a wind-related accident in the past in Kansas, leaving her stranded for four days, so the Chersevanis' plight hit home.
"They're a very beautiful, very sweet family," she said.
More help has also rolled in.
"It was great that we have such a great community that was willing to step up and help out," Pearson said.
Eddie did his best with one hand to load up the rickety car they bought for $350 to get around. It was sold cheap because the driver hit a deer. It leaks fluid and has a broken windshield, but the Chersevanis remain thankful.
Skylar's sister also set up an online fundraiser that they hope will lead to enough money to buy a car. But they have their lives and each other.
"So much worse. It could have been so much worse," Pearson said.
