Go Fund Me page set up for teen paralyzed in dune crash.

– Photo from Go Fund Me Page

Go Fund Me page set up for teen paralyzed in dune crash.

GOLDEN TOWNSHIP — A Go Fund Me page has been set up for an 18-year-old Big Rapids woman critically injured in a rollover crash at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes last Friday, July 30.

The Go Fund Me page states the following:

“Hello everyone! 

I am raising money on behalf of Miss Naomi Parks. She was involved in a tragic accident on July 30th at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. This resulted in her breaking her C3/C4/C5 vertebrae, causing her to be paralyzed from the neck down.

“She was riding passenger in the vehicle when the front end of the truck nose dived off the back of a dune. The truck flipped front over end. Both passengers were wearing seatbelts, no alcohol or drugs were involved. 

“Naomi was pinned upside down between the dash and the roof, while her arms and legs were pinned between the seat and the door. She laid there, talking and conscious, for 3 hours before rescuers were able to get her out. Hospital staff say it’s a miracle she was breathing on her own. She is currently at Muskegon Mercy but once she is stable, will be moved to Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids, MI.

– Photo from Go Fund Me Page

“Naomi was set to attend Olivet College this coming fall as a freshman, the first in her family to attend college. She is a very well known figure in the Big Rapids community. Often called on to babysit, a favorite student to many of her teachers, and the smiling face that would serve you and your family at the local ice cream shop. She is a true flower child who radiates hope and positivity, and even while immobile and unable to communicate in the hospital beds, she still tries to make those surrounding her laugh by sticking out her tongue for photos.

“Her family now has the responsibility of being her caregivers, which they will do with happy and loving hearts. I’m hoping to make the transition easier by raising funds so they can purchase a wheelchair-friendly vehicle, make adjustments to their home so it can be handicap accessible, and cover costs that insurance is unable to. Any donation of any amount will be a blessing to the family, and if you are unable to give, just sending good vibes and prayers goes a long way. Thank you so much.”

The crash occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m., according to an Oceana County Sheriff’s Office accident report.

Naomi was a passenger in a 1985 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by a 19-year-old Standwood man, who was not injured in the crash.

He was driving up a sand hill “at a high rate of speed,” the report states. “Upon cresting the sand hill, (he) lost control of the vehicle, overturning the vehicle and impacting the embankment below. Both the driver and the passenger were pinned in the vehicle to start. The driver was eventually able to get out of the vehicle without assistance from fire/EMS. The passenger was extricated by Hart Fire (Department) and transported to Mercy Hospital in Muskegon.”

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