Oregon House,CA : Oregon man killed in wrong-way wreck on Interstate 5 aspired to save lives on January, Tuesday 9th 2018
Twenty-nine-year-old Ryan John Folsom always wanted to be a super hero, so he decided to pursue a career as a doctor, according to one of his friends.
But a wrong-way crash on Interstate 5 near Anderson Sunday killed the aspiring doctor while he was on a trip for an interview at a California hospital.
Ian Thomas Cropper is a longtime friend of Folsom's who created a GoFundMe page to raise money for Folsom's family who lives in Medford, Oregon.
He said on Tuesday the crash is hard to fathom.
"It's a whole other level of tragedy," Cropper said.
In the GoFundMe account he established for Folsom's family, he said his friend was a big fan of the Avengers and anything super hero-related because he loved to help people. That devotion fueled his desire to become a doctor.
"He loved the idea of being a doctor and saving lives," Cropper wrote.
The GoFundMe account, established Monday, had already raised more than $162,000 toward its $200,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon.
"We're trying to do as much as we can," Cropper said.
Cropper, who lives in Colorado, said he's been in contact with Folsom's family in Medford and they are doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.
Cropper said Folsom grew up in Medford and leaves behind two sons, 4 and 2; and his wife, Lauren, expecting their third child in the next few weeks.
He said Folsom's parents, siblings and a host of other relatives also live in Medford.
Folsom was a football and wrestling star at North Medford High School before attending Brigham Young University, where he played football for the BYU Cougars.
Cropper said Folsom had been attending medical school in Texas for the past few years, but recently moved back to Medford as he interviewed for a residency position at hospitals.
Folsom was apparently on a trip for a hospital interview in Sacramento when his car was struck by a wrong-way driver on I-5.
California Highway Patrol investigators say a Red Bluff woman bent on trying to kill herself purposely drove the wrong way on the freeway, striking Folsom's car. That fact angers his friends and family, Folsom said.
The driver of the other car, Grace Elizabeth Ward, 28, suffered a broken leg and remains at Mercy Medical Center in Redding as the CHP continues its investigation. A nursing supervisor said Tuesday he had no information about Ward.
Ward has not been arrested and no charges have been filed against her by the Shasta County District Attorney's Office yet.
Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said Tuesday that while she has been briefed on the incident, the CHP has not yet filed a case with her office. She said her office will have to wait until the CHP files its case before deciding what charges to file.
Source :
Oregon man killed in wrong-way wreck on Interstate 5 aspired to save lives