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Uninsured driver damages handicap accessible van,wheelchair

Posted at 6:28 PM, Aug 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-23 23:23:21-04

WAYLAND, Mich. -- The Tomson family spent months fundraising to receive a handicap-accessible van. After only three months of having the vehicle, an uninsured driver damaged it.

The vehicle had been used as a mode of transportation for 4-year-old Graham Tomson, who has cerebral palsy.

"He needs 100% care and is 100% dependent on myself," said Ana Tomson, Graham's mother.

On Thursday, Ana Graham was in her home with her two children when she heard what sounded like a boom outside.

"I heard a big crash," said Tomson. "It was shock."

The driver had plowed onto their property and rammed into their van, Graham's wheelchair and a stroller.

"Getting the van changed our lives," said Tomson. "It is so much easier to wheel him in and out, as opposed to breaking down a wheelchair and putting it in our car."

The family hopes their insurance will cover the damage done to the van. However, the family will likely be responsible for the cost of the wheelchair, ranging between $15,000 and $25,000. The family previously waited nine months to receive Graham's wheelchair, which was custom-made.

People within the community started a GoFundMe page for the family to help raise costs.