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Pregnant Woman Saves Family After Horrific Crash

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – A pregnant woman traveling with her family from Utah to Aurora for Thanksgiving is credited with saving the lives of her family members after a horrific crash.

Erika Grow was traveling with her husband Kevin, their two small children and her sister from Provo, Utah when the SUV they were in rolled three times after hitting black ice at 75 miles per hour near Rawlins, Wyoming, according to KUTV in Salt Lake City.

Erika Grow
Erika Grow (credit: CBS)

"It started getting really windy … very misty, very moist," Grow told KUTV. "When the car was sliding; when it hit that dry gravel is when it flipped. It was really quick. I remember waking my husband up and telling him, 'we're slipping, you know, what do I do?' "

Grow's husband and sister, Naomi Merrill, 17, were thrown from the vehicle during the crash. Her children, a 3-year-old old and 21-month-old, were still strapped in their child seats in the back of the SUV.

Grow, who is 8-months pregnant, was also still in the SUV and was able to climb in the back and retrieve her children. She said she placed them in suitcases to keep them warm.

Pregnant Crash
The Grow's SUV after the crash (credit: CBS)

"I thought they were safest – emotionally and physically – in the car; and I put as many clothes and things to keep them warm as I could," she said.

After climbing out of the wrecked SUV she found her sister, who was in obvious pain from injuries.

FAMILY IN CRASH map
(credit: CBS)

"I was able to find my sister; she was maybe 20 feet from the car. And I could hear her when she breathed out, she was moaning like she was hurting pretty bad."

Grow was then able to flag down a passing car and found her husband 75 yards away from the crash.

Naomi Merrill
Naomi Merrill (credit: CBS)

According to KUTV, Merrill and Kevin Grow are both currently in the intensive care unit at the University of Utah Hospital with serious injuries.

"He's got bleeding in the brain, he's got broken ribs, he's had his spleen removed," Grow said.

Kevin Grow
Kevin Grow (credit: CBS)

The children escaped the crash uninjured. Grow said her unborn child also escaped the crash unharmed.

Kevin Grow's mother posted the following message on GiveForward.com:

"Naomi has been weaned off most of heavy sedation and consistently follows commands when not heavily medicated with just pain meds. Her vent settings r minimal and they r going to do trials today to c when they can b removed. Kevin self-removed his oxygen, arterial line and feeding tube. They only replaced feeding tube. He throws stuff and can obviously pull tubes even with restraints and mittens. They sedated him a bit more. Kidney function is the same."

Additional Information

Kevin Grow and Naomi Merrill are expected to have extended time in the hospital and bills will be expensive. Those who like to assist them with the expense can donate at GiveForward.com.

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