Crash Victim Speaks

Westley Quist says he remembers everything.

The Summerland man was involved in a head-on crash on Highway 97 last month that sent his new family to different hospitals with serious injuries.

The crash left Quist's three-year-old stepson, Josh Dyck, paralyzed from the chest down. Josh is recovering at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver . His mother, Bernice, is in serious condition at Kelowna General Hospital. Westley will be having surgery this week to repair his badly crushed right foot.

On Tuesday the Quist family was presented with $15,000 and 13.5 million points, raised through Save-On-Foods and a trust fund, to help with their medical expenses.

While accepting the cheque, Quist also spoke to the media for the first time since the accident.

“Unfortunately, I remember everything. I have been coherent through this whole process, from the time I saw the car to this moment. Bernice and I have only been married three months and having this start to our life is very rough, but we'll make it through this. We're very strong people,” says Quist.

Quist says it'll take some time before he and Bernice can be reunited with Josh.

“It's going to be awhile before Josh can come back here, and it'll be very long before Bernice or myself can go there. But we are definitely with him in spirit,” says Quist.

Meantime, Sergent Rick Bigland of the Summerland RCMP says the investigation into the crash is on-going.

“It is proceeding along normally . The traffic analysis has not yet been completed and we have to contact some other witnesses,” says Bigland.

He says the investigation into the crash could take several more weeks.

“It's a pretty detailed investigation . We have a lead investigator who is being assisted by a couple of other officers,” says Bigland.

He says they don't believe alcohol was a factor.

The medical status of the Nakusp woman driving the other car involved in the crash is not known, but her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.