The father of a local 16-year-old girl says it’s a miracle his daughter survived a May 22 car crash that resulted in her being ejected from the vehicle, severing her femoral artery and being catapulted and suspended on a live power line about 30 feet from the ground below.

“Everyone I have talked to says this is absolutely the craziest story they have ever heard,” said Jared Littledike, the father of Kennedy Littledike, 16, of Burley.

Kennedy and her two friends, 16-year-old Nakia Molina of Rupert and 16-year-old Jacob Rasmussen of Declo, suffered severe injuries in the single-vehicle rollover crash about 3 miles south of Declo, in which all three teenagers were ejected from the vehicle.

The crash occurred at 9:12 p.m. at 705 E. 300 S., according to an Idaho Transportation Department report the Idaho State Journal obtained. Littledike was heading west while driving a 1999 Nissan Maxima with Molina riding in the passenger seat and Rasmussen riding in the back seat of the car at the time of the crash, the ITD report stated.

The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation; however, Jared says Kennedy has since told him that she saw a dog running across the rural roadway and, upon swerving to avoid hitting the dog, lost control of the vehicle.

After leaving the north side of the roadway, the car struck a power pole, rolled four times and came to rest on its roof, according to the ITD report.

Jared says the three teenagers had been hanging out together near the Declo High School “D” located on the East Hills High Point just southeast of Declo. All three teenagers are Declo High School students. Kennedy was driving back to Rasmussen’s house so that he could pick up his car and meet the other two girls back at the Littledike residence where the three planned to make crepes together, Jared said.

From what he has pieced together in speaking to first responders and witnesses, Jared says the crash was reported to law enforcement after a nearby neighbor heard Kennedy, who at the time was suspended on the live power line about 30 feet high, screaming for help.

The neighbor and some family members rushed over to the scene to find Rasmussen severely bleeding on the ground and Molina unconscious nearby.

“What I have heard is that the first people on scene, a family, were able to stop (Rasmussen’s) bleeding and saw that (Molina) was unconscious,” Jared said. “With (Kennedy), they didn’t know what to do really, so they stretched a tarp out and got it ready just in case she fell and then just got down on their knees underneath her and prayed because they couldn’t do anything more considering she was stuck about 30 feet up in the air.”

Jared says it took about 40 minutes to free Kennedy from the power line, with first responders using the ladder on a fire truck to safely reach her.

“I was told by one of the first responders that he had never seen a girl this tough or strong in his entire life,” Jared said. “She was able to talk to him and tell him about her and her boyfriend breaking up and that she was still struggling with that.”

Kennedy was initially transported via helicopter ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello before being flown to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake.

Jeff Rasmussen, Jacob’s father, says Jacob was transported via ground ambulance to Cassia Regional Medical Center before being flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. Molina was transported via helicopter ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Though all three teenagers suffered significant injuries from the crash, they are all expected to survive.

Marlene Molina, Nakia’s mother, says her daughter suffered a shattered vertebra in her back that was fused to two other vertebrae, a fracture in her neck that doctors are hopeful will heal on its own and four breaks in her pelvis that required four screws to hold it in place. Additionally, she endured a small brain bleed and some of her right ribs were dislocated from the cartilage.

Marlene says Nakia, who played volleyball, basketball and softball, has been mostly resting since the crash and has been able to sit on the edge of the hospital bed for a few minutes at a time.

Jeff says Jacob, the oldest of five siblings who plans to pursue a career in the medical field and was looking forward to playing high school football for the first time this fall, is also starting to make great progress in his recovery. Jacob was conscious and in extreme pain when first responders arrived on scene, Jeff said.

Once at the hospital, Jeff learned Jacob suffered a fractured vertebra in his neck that was fused to another vertebra, a fracture in his back that doctors are hopeful will heal on its own and a broken pelvis that required screws and plate to hold it in place.

“He was able to get into a wheelchair over the weekend and he’s making great progress,” Jeff said. “He still has a long road ahead of him, but we’re hopeful that he’s going to make a full recovery.”

Since first being flown to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Kennedy has had her fair share of ups and downs, Jared said. Because Kennedy’s femoral artery in her left leg was severed in the crash, the leg required amputation just above the knee. Since then, doctors have had to amputate more of the leg on two separate occasions, which has left Kennedy in a position where it’s most likely that a typical prosthetic will not be an option moving forward, Jared said.

Additionally, Kennedy’s left arm was severely injured in the crash and was essentially being held together by soft tissue, said Jared, adding that numerous nerves in the arm had all been pulled from the roots in her spine. Doctors have relocated nerves from elsewhere in Kennedy’s body and pulled a section of a vein from her right leg to repair the damaged arm, Jared said. The Littledike family is hopeful she will regain up to 50 percent mobility in that arm so long as everything heals accordingly.

“The repair of her arm has been one of many miracles in this process,” Jared said. “Honestly, if you don’t believe in miracles, I don’t know what to tell you. Every doctor that has seen Kennedy says it’s a miracle she’s alive because her injuries are in the top five of the worst they have ever seen. It’s very rare that a person survives the injuries Kennedy experienced in this wreck.”

In the aftermath of the crash, all three families said they realize now more than ever how important seat belts are. Jeff said he has always told his children to wear a seatbelt after one saved his life during a crash once. Marlene said she, too, has told Nakia to wear a seatbelt and Nakia has told every person who rides in the car to buckle up because she can’t stand it when the car beeps when seat belts aren’t connected.

Jared said not encouraging his children to wear a seatbelt is one of his biggest failures as a father. It’s a mistake that he’ll never repeat, he said.

“I’ll be honest with you, we were not a seatbelt family before this,” Jared said. “That was my failure as a father, but you just don’t think this (stuff) will ever happen to you. The crash was literally only about 3.5 miles from the house on a road they’ve driven hundreds of times before.”

To assist the three families during this time of hardship, numerous fundraising efforts are underway.

On June 12, the Stokes Freshfood Market in Burley will donate 10 percent of all of its sales to the Littledike, Molina and Rasmussen families.

On June 14, Wick’s Steak Place is holding a silent auction and dinner fundraiser event. An online silent auction is live now and accessible by visiting facebook.com/groups/3familys ilentauction.

More items are being auctioned during the dinner, which starts at 6:30 p.m. on June 14. The dinner costs $35 per plate and will include tri-tip or brisket, Dutch oven potatoes, salad and a dessert. Abrey Adam’s Photography will be at the dinner taking digital portraits at a cost of $25 per pose. All the proceeds from this event will also be split among the three families.

Lastly, online GoFundMe fundraisers have been created for each of the families. The fundraiser for Kennedy is accessible by visiting gofund.me/7a6e1581, the fundraiser for Nakia is accessible by visiting gofund.me/4de26d47 and the fundraiser for Jacob is accessible by visiting gofund.me/05228f9d. Each of the GoFundMe campaigns are backed by the GoFundMe Guarantee, which means funds are guaranteed to go to the right place or donors will get a refund.

All three families expressed an extreme amount of gratitude for all those who have helped to support them during this trying time and those who worked hard to ensure these teenagers survived the crash.

“I really want to tell the folks in the Melba, Declo, and Burley communities how extremely grateful we are for them,” Jared said. “They have rallied behind all of us from the very beginning.”

Jared continued, “It feels a bit like the life we have built for the last 23 years got gasoline poured on it and lit on fire, but just like with a wildfire there is a chance for a new beginning and good things can come from this. We are extremely grateful for everything that everyone has done for us.”