Abbotsford man struck by vehicle

A 2021 Abbotsford High School graduate suffered life-altering injuries after attempting to assist victims of a fatal crash on April 16.

Gus Larson, 19, was heading home to Wausau when he encountered a vehicle with its hazard lights on. Larson said he didn’t think anything of it and initially, didn’t see the accident looming on the other side of the stopped vehicle. Instead, he thought someone might need help and got out of his car in an effort to assist the stopped driver.

The NTC student and aspiring welder approached the vehicle with its hazard lights on and quickly realized a horrible accident had occured. According to Larson, the vehicle with its hazards on had someone who had witnessed the crash and was in the process of calling 9-1-1.

Larson proceeded to the accident and said he knew right away the situation was serious and he needed to do something.

“When I got out of my car and could see it a little bit better, I knew it was pretty serious,” Larson said. “I just looked both ways and tried to make sure there were no vehicles coming, walked across [the highway] and looked to see if anyone was conscious.”

According to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department, three people perished during the accident including Jennifer Krug, 38, of Medford, Sophie Sullivan, 21, of Oshkosh, and Audrie Stephens, 20, of Appleton.

Larson walked the length of the accident as he checked for someone who he could help. When he reached the second part of the wreckage, a separate vehicle traveling on the highway hit Larson, injuring him in the process.

“In my mind, [helping] didn’t seem like a big deal to me,” Larson said. “I did what I felt was the right thing to do and knew the consequences that could have come of it.”

Larson suffered a fractured pelvis, hip and ankle during the incident and was taken to a local hospital. From there, Larson said the events of being taken by ambulance to the hospital and ensuing treatments were a blur.

On April 21, Larson was released from the hospital and began his road to recovery from his parents’ home in Abbotsford.

He reflected on the accident and ran through the events in his mind.

“I wouldn’t change any of it,” Larson said. “I did what I would hope someone would do for me if I was in that situation.”

Larson said the amount of letters, calls and messages from people in the community has been heartwarming.

“I’ve been receiving a ton of support,” Larson said. “People saying, ‘Thank you,’ messaging me and hoping I’m doing alright. A ton of people have been pouring out their support and been telling me how much they want me to get better.”

Larson expects months of physical therapy and recovery exercises in the future. He hopes to return to NTC to continue his pursuit of 2a welding career.

“Honestly, I’m just ready to get it done and get through it, you know, do what I need to do to heal and be back to 100 percent,” Larson said.

A fundraiser has been started to help the Larson family with medical bills and recovery efforts.

Community members and businesses have joined in the support for the Larson family. Forward Bank in Colby started a fundraising effort by opening an account that people can donate to. Ariel Oehmichen of the Coffee Coop took to social media to bring awareness to Larson’s heroics and ensuing recovery efforts. The Colby Lions also assisted with a fundraising opportunity during a recent event in Colby.

Donations for Gus’s cause can be given at https://www.paypal. com/donate/?hosted_button_ id=YPGD7M5QX2JF2 or by scanning the QR code. You can also stop by Forward Bank and ask to donate to the Gus Larson Fund. Similar funds and opportunities have been created for the other victims of the crash. Krug, Sullivan and Stephens all have Go FundMe pages to help cover funeral costs and to help honor their lives.

Larson Donation Website