Family reels after father hurt in crash
Taiz Kelling and his family. Kelling was recently injured in a crash in Post Falls.
Courtesy photo
POST FALLS — During his last motorcycle ride of the season, Taiz Kelling was being followed by his family in another vehicle.
As he reached the intersection of Highway 41 and 16th Avenue, he was struck by an oncoming vehicle.
“It was very traumatizing for the family,” family friend Mariah Woods said. “They witnessed as Taiz got hit by the vehicle. Her son was sitting in the front seat when all of this occurred.”
Kelling had surgery to put in a plate and screws to hold his arm together.
The hospital has discovered that both legs are injured from the crash, making it almost impossible for them to bear weight.
He has a torn ACL along with other tendon/muscle tears that will need to be surgically fixed and has five cracked ribs and a broken sternum.
Kelling has lost mobility in the upper body as well.
Woods said that Kelling had been the sole breadwinner and now his family may lose their housing situation.
“He’s in a whirlwind of recovery now,” Woods said.
Kelling works in construction and the transition to being cared for has been difficult.
His wife, Jessica, is leaning on family.
“It's just devastating for them, they’ve created their own life and got married not too long ago this year,” Woods said.
Kelling was doing better Friday and was able to move the arm that had surgery, Woods wrote at GoFundMe.
"He is determined to work hard at physical therapy to get better," she wrote. "Moods are brighter now that there is a plan. However, there is still a long road ahead and a lot of pain."
An account to help the family is at GoFundMe, under Mariah Woods.