Wisconsin Teen Paralyzed in Crash in Nebraska Told Mom 'I Am So Sorry'

17-year-old Evelyn "Evey" Laux convinced a friend to let her drive his truck before losing control of the vehicle, according to her mom

GoFundMe Evelyn Laux

GoFundMe

Evelyn Laux

A Wisconsin teen is paralyzed from the waist down after a life-changing car crash.

Seventeen-year-old Evelyn “Evey” Laux of Waterford, Wis., was visiting a friend in a rural area of St. Paul, Neb. on Friday, Jan. 3 when the incident occurred, according to ABC affiliate WISN 12.

PEOPLE out to the St. Paul Police Department for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

In a GoFundMe established by Evey’s mother, Connie Laux, Connie shared that her daughter was on a school break in St. Paul when she convinced her friend to “let her drive his truck.” She said Evey “lost control” after overcorrecting the steering wheel, causing the truck to roll.

GoFundMe Truck crash in Nebraska on Jan. 3, 2025

GoFundMe

Truck crash in Nebraska on Jan. 3, 2025

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Connie noted that while the friend “walked away with minor scratches,” her daughter “was thrown into the backseat and pinned in a twisted position until the amazing rescue workers were able to remove her from the vehicle using the jaws of life.”

While speaking to WISN 12, Evey’s parents said they were first alerted of the accident through their daughter’s Apple phone and Life 360 app — but they were nine hours away in Wisconsin at the time. They said they immediately drove the 620 miles to their daughter and were in close communication with her medical team the entire way.

"The neurosurgeon told us that it was not a life-threatening injury, and she was going to be okay, but she was going to be paralyzed, likely as her spine was literally broke in half," Connie told the outlet.

In her message on the GoFundMe, Connie revealed that the first thing her daughter said to her after the accident was, “I am so sorry,” before commenting, “I will never be able to play softball, ride a horse or be a veterinary surgeon.”

GoFundMe Rescue workers at the scene of the Jan. 3 crash

GoFundMe

Rescue workers at the scene of the Jan. 3 crash

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On the same page, the family noted that while they are “doing everything possible to encourage [Evey] and give her positive things to look forward to,” they are also now facing a mountain of financial hardships.

“We are just starting to learn the gravity of the financial burden that this will bring,” Connie wrote. She explained that — in addition to working less to meet Evey’s high level of care — she and her husband will need to remodel areas of the family's home to make it wheelchair accessible, purchase a lift to get their daughter in and out of chairs and beds, invest in a stair lift, ramps, wheelchairs and “many more items that I can’t even imagine at this stage.”

“Evelyn will have to learn how to be independent, but this may require several years of assistance before that can happen,” she added.

GoFundMe Evelyn Laux

GoFundMe

Evelyn Laux

In a CaringBridge page recently set up for Evey, Connie shared that their family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of the love and support their daughter has received since her accident.

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“So many people have sent messages sharing their positive memories of Evey and how she has touched their lives,” she wrote on the community page.

“We constantly share these thoughts with Evey so she can see the love surrounding her and what she's fighting for," she continued. "When Evey sees the names, messages and sheer number of people who have reached out in some way, she’s amazed that so many genuinely care about her to this extent. The sparkle in her eyes is priceless."

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