Utah woman in Florida for cruise loses foot after being hit by truck


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DANIA BEACH, Florida — A Utah woman preparing to leave on a cruise had her foot severed when she and other members of her family were hit by a pickup truck while walking back to their hotel.

Raquel Leota, 24, suffered a severe injury to her foot "to the point that it couldn't be reconnected," said her brother, Bryon Wensel.

Leota, along with David Wensel, 51, Kathleen Wensel, 47, Tyson Wensel, 10, Bryon Wensel, 24, Hope Wensel, 11, and Leota's husband, Thomas Leota, 31, were walking back to their hotel after dinner Sunday night when a driver "lost control of his truck and spun out, hitting our family," according to a GoFundMe page* set up to help pay for the family's medical costs.

Tyson Wensel suffered a severe concussion, a cut to his right leg, a fractured left foot and bruised lungs and road rash, Bryon Wensel said.

"(Tyson) was thrown further than anyone else in the family," he said.

The family, from Eagle Mountain and South Jordan, arrived in Florida on Saturday and were planning to leave on an 11-day cruise Monday. The trip was in the works for two years and "was pretty special to us," Bryon Wensel said.

But in a matter of moments, the family went from casually enjoying the Florida weather to frantically trying to escape a truck that was speeding and out of control, he said.

"I heard the squealing of tires ... as the driver lost control of his truck and started spinning out across the road," he recalled. "He ... spun across the median ... and continued spinning off the road, hit my family (and) knocked them up into the air."

The truck continued for another 30 yards, hitting a fence and a power pole, Bryon Wensel said. He was behind the group and tying his shoe and was not hit, he said. Hope Wensel was also not injured, though David and Kathleen Wensel both suffered bruising and cuts that were not serious.

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"(We have) endless gratitude ... knowing that it could have turned out so much worse," Bryon Wensel said. "We're so thankful for the fact that we still have all of us together, that everyone is alive, that no one had any more injuries than they did. We're trying to find the ... silver lining in this situation."

The 57-year-old driver suffered minor injuries. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office was investigating whether speed or intoxication, or both, were factors in the crash.

The family's GoFundMe page states the damage to Raquel Leota's foot was "irreparable" and that she "will need to receive a prosthetic."

"We don't have an answer on when Raquel and Tyson will be able to be moved from the hospital. Any support is so very much appreciated," the page says.

Both wounded victims remain in "a lot of pain," Bryon Wensel said. The family is relying on "the countless prayers" of their relatives and friends in order to endure their ordeal, he said.

"We're holding it together," he said. "Everything is pretty raw right now."

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*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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