News

Actions

6-year-old girl from Delta in a coma after accident at roller skating rink

Posted at 5:59 PM, Jan 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-02 10:42:56-05

DELTA, Utah -- Tayton Timothy, 6, is fighting for her life after an accident at a roller skating rink in Delta.  Her family said the child suffered serious injury after a collision with an adult skater who ended up landing on top of the young girl.

Tayton is receiving care at Primary Children’s Hospital, where she has been in a coma. Tayton's family said the incident occurred Saturday when Tayton was roller skating with a friend and was accidentally knocked over by another skater.

“The saddest part to me is, she was just standing there; she was just standing there and she got knocked over,” said Tracy Ramsay, Tayton’s grandmother.

Family members tell FOX 13 News that details about the sequence of events are unclear, as they saw the aftermath rather than the actual moment of impact and there are not any cameras in the rink. The family said the adult may have been skating backward at the time, and they said after the crash the man landed on top of Tayton.

"I didn't even know anything happened until someone yelled 'Call an ambulance!'," Braden Johnson, an employee at Rammie's Roller Skating Rink, told FOX 13 News Friday.

The family says they are praying for the man who collided with Tayton,  knowing it was an accident and they don't bear him any ill will.

The young girl was not wearing a helmet, and it is believed she hit the ground face-first. She was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital suffering from a skull fracture, a broken vertebrae and an eye injury--which the family says may require surgery. She also developed a strep infection as well as meningitis in the wake of the collision and is receiving specialized care in the ICU.

Tayton's family is praying for her recovery, but they say doctors tell them it is unlikely Tayton will be the same ever again.

"Honestly the doctors aren't optimistic that she will come out of this whole, she will be different, they told us," Ramsay said. "...I just want to see Tayton go home. I want her to enjoy life again. I want to be able to hold her and hug her.”

According to details posted on a GoFundMe page created by family members, the girl is currently receiving treatment, and, "She continues her valiant fight for healing and recovery  as well as acknowledgement of God and his hand in all things."

Details about the identity of the skater who accidentally collided with the child were not immediately available.

Rink owner Michael Vandevanter said in their 32 years operating the rink, this is the worst crash they've ever seen.

"I've seen a few ankles broke or a rib broke, but nothing like this," he said. "This is the first time an ambulance has ever been called in."

The family lives in Delta, which is about a two-hour trip from the hospital. They have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for medical bills and expenses, click here for details or to contribute.

FOX 13 News reached out to local police regarding the crash, but has not yet received an official response.