Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A Bountiful teen, Jayden Rich, is in critical condition after a crash.
- His family is hopeful as he shows signs of improvement while in a coma.
- Motorcycle fatalities in Utah have risen; family urges caution and helmet use.
MURRAY— A 19-year-old young man is fighting for his life after a motorcycle crash late Friday night in Bountiful. Jayden Rich remains in critical condition at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, where he is currently in a medically induced coma.
Despite the severity of the crash, Jayden's family says there is hope.
"He's not paralyzed, and he's showing signs of improvement," one of his older sisters, Sadie Rich, told KSL-TV. "But he still can't communicate with us."
Cellphone video from inside the hospital shows Jayden lying motionless, surrounded by loved ones. His sisters, Sadie and Alison Rich, are struggling to process the sudden shift from seeing their brother full of life to now watching him fight to survive.
"It doesn't feel real," Sadie Rich said. "I feel like I'm walking into a movie set."
The crash occurred on Bountiful Boulevard late Friday when a car reportedly made a sudden U-turn in front of Jayden Rich's motorcycle.
"He did not see my brother," Sadie Rich said. "My brother T-boned him and then went flying over the car."
Jayden Rich was wearing a helmet, which doctors say likely saved his life, and "absolutely saved his neck from snapping," Sadie Rich added.
"The swelling — it's going down and he's starting to look like our brother again, and it gives me a lot of hope," said Alison Rich.
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, motorcycle fatalities are up nearly 80% compared to this time last year, with overall motorcycle crashes up 16%.
"What that says to us is that people need to pay attention and people need to slow down," said Jason Mettmann with the Department of Public Safety accident office. "We would call on all riders to just take the time to take a couple of days and take a skilled course. You can go to ridetolive.gov."
Jayden Rich's family acknowledges he was speeding at the time of the crash and hopes others will learn from this tragedy.
"Wear your helmet. Watch out for motorcyclists — they're small and they're hard to see at night," said Sadie Rich. "Go the speed limit. Follow traffic laws. Just be careful."
As warmer weather brings more motorcycles onto Utah roads, the Rich family is urging both riders and drivers to stay alert and drive responsibly.
A *GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover Jayden's medical expenses.
*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 advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
