MIFFLINBURG — Dazed and seriously injured, a Union County teen tried to use a cell phone to summon help to the scene of a crash in the Bald Eagle State Forest that killed his father, his father’s fiance and her 9-year-old son.
In a related matter, the teen, Randell Boyer III, told his older sister that the brakes went out on his father’s pickup truck moments before the fatal accident.
It’s unclear how many phone calls Randell Boyer III managed to make before he passed out, but investigators say they believe about five hours passed between the time of the crash and when passers-by noticed the wreckage and called for help. Killed in the wreck were Randell Boyer Jr., 35, his fiance Kimberly Carroll, 29, and her son Joseth Stanton, all of the Middleburg area.
In the moments after the crash, the younger Boyer, known as “Bud” to family and friends, found a cell phone belonging to his father and used it to call his Glen Iron home, his mother, Nicole Wright, said Wednesday.
Bud’s younger sister answered the phone, Wright said. Bud asked if his mother or stepfather were home. Told they were not there, Bud said he needed help, then hung up. He then tried his mother’s cell phone. She did not answer, so he left a message.
After making his futile calls for help, Bud lost consciousness, his mother said. The teen does not remember his rescue, and when he woke up, he was in the hospital.
A spokesman at the Union County 911 Center said on Wednesday that he was not authorized to speak about when 911 calls related to the crash were received. He referred questions to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which is leading the investigating because the crash occurred on state forest land. The lead officer from DCNR was not available on Wednesday.
Wright said that when she tried to return her son’s calls, she got no answer. She did not learn about the accident until hours later when she received a call from her place of employment. She then spoke to a doctor at Evangelical Community Hospital who described the situation to her.
Bud remains in critical condition with internal injuries and broken ribs, but he has regained consciousness and is now able to speak. Bud wishes he could attend services for his father, scheduled for this evening at the Hummel Funeral Home in Middleburg, his mother said. Because of his injuries, he can’t.
“They said he would not be able to withstand the ride in the car,” his mother said.
Bud vividly remembers the frantic moments before the crash, said his older sister, Kayla Boyer.
While other relatives surmised that Bud may have been riding in the back of the truck, the teen said he was in the cab with the others.
As they were coming down Old Shingle Road, the elder Boyer said the brakes were not working, and the truck was out of control. Investigators checked the brakes on the truck Tuesday, but have not said publicly what they found.
In the frantic moments before the crash, the elder Boyer tried to reassure the rest of them.
“My dad was being strong,” Kayla Boyer said.
After the crash, Bud could tell that the others were grievously injured, but he did not know if they were alive.
“He was afraid they were in pain,” Kayla Boyer said.
Bud, who is enrolled in the Mifflinburg Area School District, has been attending an alternative school in Northumberland.
As he recovers, his mother is asking that friends and neighbors keep him in their thoughts.
“I would just like everyone to pray for him,”
Kayla Boyer sister has been circulating a prayer chain by e-mail to spread the word about her brother’s condition. The e-mail urges all who receive it to pray for Bud and his family and forward the e-mail “to keep the prayers (going) in hopes he will make it through this.”
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Teen tried to summon help
He used father’s phone to make at least 2 calls
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