Two people were killed in a two-vehicle accident on Colorado’s Interstate 70 between the Lookout Mountain area and community of Genessee on December 24th, 2018.
One of the people involved was a former Lander resident, and LVHS graduate, Sancy (Florquist) Shaw. She had been living in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where she worked as a teacher at North Routt Charter School. Her school biography said she enjoyed spending time with her daughter, her three sons, and spending time outdoors. She was 38.
The accident also killed a 62-year-old Fredrick, Colorado woman, Cheri Goodard. According to law enforcement reports, Goodard’s vehicle began to drift off the roadway when she overcorrected and spun through the median, striking Shaw’s vehicle. Following the crash, an autopsy revealed that Goodard’s blood-alcohol level was .203. Marijuana was also found in her system.
Sancy’s six-year-old daughter Charlee was also in her vehicle during the crash. She sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Denver.
After nearly two months on rehabilitation, on February 20th, Charlee was released from the hospital.
As Charlee was released, she was greeted by reporters, including Denver’s 9 News who captured an interview with her and her father. Charlee’s father Brett told media members, “she is a miracle, and it is exciting for me talk to doctors that are saying, this is amazing, this doesn’t always happen this way, and this is incredible. She is a living, breathing miracle.” Charlee told reporters she was most looking forward to seeing her cat when she got home.
Many law enforcement officers cheered the Shaw’s on as they left the hospital, along with doctors and nurses.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Officers, Foothills Fire Protection District employees, and Colorado State Patrol all stationed vehicles along the route to also help cheer on Charlee and her family as they made their way back to Steamboat Springs.
More details on this story can be found here.