3 Families, 2 Tragedies, Accidents Tie Community
BOISE - A Sweet, ID family is coping with a devastating loss over the weekend.
Saturday morning a crash on the Sweet-Ola Highway claimed the life of David Coburn and two of his daughters – Kaitlyn, 8 and Ellie, 4. Another daughter, Taylor, 6 is in critical condition at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise.
David Coburn’s brother Hal said Taylor’s prognosis is “positive.” That good news is something the family is hanging on to during a difficult time.
The three girls were spending time with their dad Saturday – headed to a church service project at the cemetery in Sweet.
Hal says the instant David's pickup went off the road; the
community has been there, especially for David’s wife Emily. "The outpouring of support in Sweet has been incredible and I think
that’s helping Emily deal with the situation she is dealing with,"
Coburn said. Hal says two families who can relate to Emily
are doing anything they can to help out. The Probst and Walker families lost their children when their car
went
off the road on the same highway in February 2007. In that accident,
five students on their way to school died.
But they never made it to their destination. Coburn and his daughters died in the crash just before the cemetery.
Police say a trailer carrying pipe came loose and hit David's car, sending him off the road and into a creek.
Devin Morgan, 18 was driving the pickup carrying the trailer. He too was headed for the cemetery service project.
"They have nothing but love and outpouring for this young man that is possibly scarred with the memories of what happened that day," Hal Coburn said.
Now those families touched by similar tragedy – are helping the survivors of this latest accident.
"I'd like to express thanks to people like the Probst family and the Walker family, Coburn said. "The fathers - both actually - were in the water trying to rescue the girls and David."
Coburn said the Probsts have been babysitting Jaden - the Coburn's youngest girl.
The family says they are thankful for the many volunteers who tried to save David and the girls.
Paul Drake was the first person who jumped in the creek to try and rescue the family.
“The first time I went in, the current caught me so I went down stream,” Drake said. “It took me three times to get out to the truck.”
Aside from the strong current- Drake says the water temperature was about 35 degrees.
The Coburn family has planned a memorial for David, Kaitlyn and Ellie this Friday at the LDS Stake Center in Emmett.
If you’d like to make a donation to the family, you can do so at any US Bank branch.
ARTICLE TWO
Benefit fund Helps family of father, daughters killed in Sweet crash
sstrauss@idahopress.com
SWEET — A benefit fund has been set up by friends of the Coburn family after a triple-fatal car crash took the lives of an Emmett father and his two young daughters. David Coburn, 38, and his daughters Kaitlyn, 8, and Ellie, 4, died in a freak accident near Sweet on Saturday. A third daughter, 6-year-old Taylor, is in critical condition at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center.
Coburn's widow, Emily, is left uninsured and without means to pay for hospital and burial costs for her husband and two daughters.
Donations can be made at any US Bank to the account name of "Coburn Family Benefit Fund."
Officers say the series of events leading to the accident began while Devin Morgan, 18, of Sweet was northbound on the Sweet-Ola Highway in a pickup truck that was towing an irrigation pipe trailer. The trailer became disconnected from the pickup and entered the southbound lanes of the highway.
Coburn was traveling southbound into the path of the disconnected trailer. He lost control of his vehicle, which came to rest in the rushing waters of Squaw Creek. He died at the scene.
Neither Morgan or his minor passenger were injured.
Kaitlyn and Ellie Coburn were taken to hospitals for treatment after the crash, but died later that evening.
Article Three
3 Killed in Crash Near Sweet
Sweet, Idaho -- A father and his two daughters are dead after a fatal accident near Sweet.
The collision occurred just up the road from where five children lost their lives on Highway 52 last year.
Friends describe 38-year-old David Coburn and his family as close knit, warm, caring and religious.
"Just last week the father in church gave a speech about how wonderful his wife was and what a wonderful mother she was," said Lewis and Ellamay Johns.
They say it was a great tribute to Emily Coburn, who lost her husband, their 4-year-old daughter, Ellie, and their 8-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, in an accident near their home.
The collision happened in the blink of an eye.
Around 11:30 a.m., a trailer being pulled by a Ford pickup traveling northbound pickup, broke way from it's hitch and entered oncoming traffic.
"The vehicle south bound hit the trailer and went into the river," said Idaho State Police trooper Gordon Dye.
Neighbors nearby noticed the crash and immediately tried to pull Coburn and his three daughters to safety.
But David died at the scene. One of his daughters was transported by Life Flight to a Boise hospital, the two others were taken to an Emmett hospital.
Neighbors say Coburn's forth daughter and his wife, Emily, were notified and went racing to the scene.
"A car stopped and the lady was Emily and she said "Kelly, take my baby there's been a terrible accident," said the Johns.
For this community their grief comes with a touch of déjà vu.
"It's terrible especially when a year and a half ago we lost five others," said the Johns.
The Johns say they also knew the relatives of the children killed on their way to school when their car veered off an icy patch of Highway 52 into a pond.
They say this latest tragedy is another deep blow, but expect the community to pull together once again just as it's done before.
"This other family, we hope, they get the same response. Well I'm sure they will," said the Johns.
The condition of the third child involved in the crash is unknown.
The driver of the truck that was hauling the trailer -- 18-year-old Devin Morgan, of Sweet -- and his passenger were uninjured in the accident.
It's unknown if Coburn and his children were wearing their seatbelts. There's no indication at this time that alcohol or drugs were a factor.
Aritcle Four
Update on Fatal Accident Near Sweet
Sweet, Idaho -- We have an update on the fatal accident on Saturday that killed a father and his two daughters just outside Sweet in Gem County.
The third child involved in that crash -- 6-year-old Taylor Coburn -- is currently in critical condition at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center.
Taylor and her father and two sisters where traveling on the Sweet-Ola highway around 11:30 a.m. when their truck hit a piece of pipe that came lose from an oncoming trailer.
Her father, David, lost control, left the roadway and crashed into Squaw Creek.
Neighbors nearby tried to pull the four victims to safety, but David was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ellie, 4, and Kaitlyn, 8, were rushed to the hospital but later succumbed to their injuries.
"Its going to be tough on a lot of people, not only for the people involved. They know each other, they work together, they all live in the same area. It's going to be very tough on them," said Idaho State Police trooper Gordon Dye.
The driver of the pickup that was towing the trailer -- 18-year-old Devin Morgan -- and his passenger were uninjured in the accident.
The crash is still under investigation by Idaho State Police with assistance from the Gem County Sheriff's Office.
Article Five
Young Crash Survivor In Critical Condition
BOISE -- The only survivor in a fatal crash on the Sweet-Ola Highway is clinging to life in a Boise hospital.
That accident near Horseshoe Bend killed David Coburn, 38, of Emmett, and two of his daughters on Saturday.
Idaho State Police say 6-year-old Taylor Coburn is in critical condition at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center.
Gem County Sheriff's deputies say 18-year-old Devin Morgan of Sweet was traveling northbound on the highway Saturday morning in a Ford truck when his trailer loaded with irrigation pipe disconnected from his truck.
David Coburn was traveling southbound on the highway in a Ford F-350 pickup when he hit the disconnected trailer.
Deputies say Coburn then lost control of his truck and went off the road down a 25-foot embankment and into a creek.
One witness to the crash jumped in the creek and tried to rescue the family.
"There were people there very quickly, and I know that there were attempts made, but the water is fairly deep and it's moving hard," said ISP Sgt. Gordon Dye.
The temperature of the water was between 30 and 40 degrees.
David Coburn was pronounced dead at the scene.
His three daughters were taken to area hospitals, but four-year-old Ellie Coburn and eight-year-old Kaitlyn Coburn were later pronounced dead.
Morgan and his young passenger were not hurt.
The accident is still under investigation
Once Idaho State Police are done with their investigation, it will be forwarded to the Gem County Prosecutor's Office for review and any decisions about criminal charges.
Police say there is no indication that alcohol or drugs were a factor in this crash.
Article Six
Father, 2 Daughters Die In Crash
Associated Press - May 18, 2008 1:44 PM ET
EMMETT, Idaho (AP) - The Idaho State Police says an Emmett man and two daughters died in a freak accident near Sweet in Gem County.
The ISP says 38-year-old David Coburn died after swerving to avoid a pipe trailer that veered into his lane on the Sweet-Ola Highway on Saturday. Coburn lost control of the pickup, which tumbled down a 25-foot embankment into a creek.
Coburn's daughters, 8-year-old Kaitlyn and 4-year-old Ellie, died later at hospitals.
A third child, 6-year-old Taylor Coburn, was in critical condition at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center.
Information from: Idaho Press-Tribune,
Article Seven
Father, 2 Girls Die In Crash Into Stream
Jon Meyer
jmeyer@idahopress.com
Sunday, May 18th, 2008
David Coburn, 38, and the two children suffered fatal injuries; a third child — Taylor Coburn, 6 — was in critical condition at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center. Coburn’s daughters were taken to hospitals for treatment after the crash, but Idaho State Police confirmed around 7 p.m. that Ellie Coburn, 4, and Kaitlyn Coburn, 8, had died.
Officers say the series of events leading to the accident began while Devin Morgan, 18, of Sweet was northbound on the Sweet-Ola Highway in a 1991 Ford F-250 pickup. The irrigation pipe trailer he was towing became disconnected from the pickup and entered the southbound lanes of travel, investigators said.
Coburn, traveling southbound on the Sweet-Ola Highway in a 1997 Ford F-350, struck the pipe trailer as it entered his lane.
Authorities said Coburn was unable to maintain control of his vehicle and left the roadway, coming to a rest in the rushing waters of Squaw Creek. Coburn was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neither Morgan, nor his minor passenger, was injured. Police said it is unknown if Coburn or his three children were wearing seat belts. There is no indication at that alcohol or drugs were a factor, ISP reported.
The Idaho State Police and Gem County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the crash around 11:30 a.m. It occurred about one mile north of State Highway 52 on the Sweet-Ola Highway.
The crash is under investigation by Idaho State Police troopers with assistance from the Gem County Sheriff’s Office.
Residents of the close-knit community of Sweet, northeast of Emmett, knew David Coburn for construction work he did in the area and for the Coburn family’s involvement in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Neighbors told KTRV Fox 12 that Coburn’s fourth daughter and his wife, Emily, were notified and went racing to the scene.
Friends were trying to put together an effort to help the family.
