The 19-year-old motorcyclist severely injured in a hit-and-run by a drunk driver in Thurston County on Feb. 10 is undergoing major surgery.
"If you could please keep him in your thoughts and prayers today, especially during this surgery, we would be so grateful,” the teen’s brother said in a written update on Friday, Feb. 20. “We’re believing for steady hands, no complications, and a smooth recovery ahead.”
Aadin Gosser was riding a red 2007 Honda VT600 motorcycle in the center lane of northbound Interstate 5 in Thurston County at about 9:55 p.m. on Feb. 10, when he was struck at about milepost 93 by a black 2006 BMW 325i changing lanes.
The BMW pushed Gosser’s motorcycle into the left shoulder barrier before fleeing the scene.
The at-fault driver, identified by the Washington State Patrol as Jason D. Bennett, 51, of Gig Harbor, is facing vehicular assault and hit-and-run charges in Thurston County Superior Court.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Case review hearings are scheduled for Feb. 24 and March 26, ahead of an anticipatd May 11 trial date.
Gosser was wearing a U.S. Department of Transportation-compliant helmet at the time of the crash, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Gosser was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia and was later airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
He sustained 34 broken bones and has undergone multiple surgeries this week, according to his family.
The surgery on Feb. 20 is to address a broken rib that is displacing his lung. He will still need additional reconstruction surgeries and is facing extensive rehabilitation afterwards.
Medical costs are estimated to be well over $1 million.
An online fundraiser to cover his medical costs had raised $14,223 as of Friday afternoon.
“Thank you for walking this road with us. Your support, your messages, your prayers — they are carrying us through moments like this. We don’t take a single bit of it for granted,” Gosser’s brother wrote.
For more information or to donate, visit https://gofund.me/ff08d28b2
While a Washington State Patrol incident report on the crash stated that Gosser lived in Salem, Oregon, the fundraising platform has confirmed that he lives in Olympia.
