Family Shares Memories of Crash Victims

Family Shares Memories of Crash Victims


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Tonya Papanikolas ReportingThe families of the couple killed in a car crash Saturday night say the driver did her best to stop the car, but couldn't because the brakes failed.

Those family members tonight shared their memories of Oral and Kay Snapp.

Oral and Kay Snapp married 7 years ago after meeting as LDS temple workers. Their families say they enriched each others' lives.

Family Shares Memories of Crash Victims

Ron Skinner, Kay's Son-in-law: "They loved each other deeply. You could just see it in them."

Cody Bowen, Oral's Grandson: "I think she really made him stay young."

The couple loved to travel together.

Ron Skinner: "They took some cruises. They went to Mexico, to Alaska, to the Caribbean."

But most of all, their family says the couple loved spending time with their kids and grandkids.

Cody Bowen, Oral's Grandson: "What made him a grandpa is just the things we did this last week."

On Saturday, Oral and Kay were with family, attending their granddaughter's wedding in Eden. When they left, they got lost headed up Powder Mountain Road.

Ron Skinner: "They didn't know where they were at, and it was dark."

Kay's daughter, who was driving, eventually turned back down the steep hill and started using her brakes. But after awhile, they stopped working.

Ron Skinner: "She said she kept hitting her brakes and they were going to the floor."

At some point, her family says she tried to shift to a lower gear, but it was apparently too late. The brakes overheated and the van tore off the road and crashed into trees. Oral and Kay died at the scene.

Ron Skinner: "Right down to the last, they were together."

The family says it gives them some comfort knowing the couple spent their last moments together, since Oral had buried two former wives.

Cody Bowen: "I'm glad he got to go with somebody this time."

Ron Skinner: "They're together, where they want to be."

Cody Bowen: "I'm glad that he got to go when he was happy, doing what he enjoyed doing."

And that was being with family, who will never forget them.

The family says they're grateful that the five others in the van survived. Two of them have now been released from the hospital. The other three are suffering from broken ribs, a bruised lung, and a broken vertebrae. But they all should recover.

A fund has been set up at Wells Fargo banks under the name Robyn and Val McDaniel (the survivors) to help with medical costs.

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