TRI-CITIES – On December 16th, a local Tri-Cities native and two of his coworkers were on their way to a job when suddenly their truck hit a patch of black ice and collided with a semi. Eric Wirt is referred to by many as “Captain America” and what he did in the face of death really goes to show that its the perfect nickname for him.
“When the accident happened his quick reaction actually saved the other two men in the truck. He swerved the truck to the right to avoid the semi and he ended up taking the brunt of the impact” said James Uhren, Americool Construction Foreman.
While the two other coworkers in the truck with Wirt walked away with minor injuries, Wirt suffered a shattered pelvis among other leg related injuries because of the accident. Wirt was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane to get treatment for his injuries. His two teenage daughters and his wife have been staying at a motel in front of the hospital to stay close to him as he recovers.
“His wife is only able to be there for visiting hours. She doesn’t want to leave him but has to when visiting hours are over and his daughters can’t even get to go in and give their dad a hug because of COVID restrictions and they aren’t over the age of 18” said Lincoln Anderson, Owner and President of Americool.
After the accident, Americool set up a GoFundMe page for the family to help them with medical bills and just to help provide for the family while Eric is recovering. They set a limit of $50,000 and in just 6 days that have already raised over $30,000 for the family.
“The thought that people are thinking of me during the tragic time means the world to me and my family. Now that I’m stuck in a hospital bed with rods in my legs, to have people care for me and my family is really amazing. There are no words to describe my gratitude” said Eric Wirt, Tri-Cities Captain America.
