A skier collision has left a family reeling and has put into question whether more should be done to prevent hit-and-runs on the slopes.
KSL reports that back on December 16th, Karyn Ferran and her family traveled up to Brighton Resort in Utah for a day of skiing. While on the slopes, her daughter, Sydney Ross, got into a collision with another skier on the trail. She was knocked unconscious and had to be airlifted to the University of Utah hospital.
In terms of the other side of the story, we frankly don’t know. The skier who collided with her didn’t stop to check on her and kept going down the trail.
“They did not come to see how she was doing,” Ferran said in an interview with KSL. “From what we know, [the person] did not check in with ski patrol.”
Sydney was in critical condition for three days, as she suffered a grade 4 concussion, and had multiple seizures. She recently returned home, but won’t be able to drive for six months. The Ferran family has set up a GoFundMe to help her during her recovery process, which is expected to take a year.
Catastrophic injuries are on the rise at U.S. ski resorts. During last season, catastrophic injuries and deaths at U.S. ski resorts were above the ten-year average.
Brighton and Ski Utah have skier responsibility programs aimed at preventing collisions and other devastating situations. Ultimately, it’s a concerning trend that needs to be better addressed by the ski industry.
We’re glad to hear that Sydney is on the road to recovery. Let’s hope that more skiers and riders read through the responsibility code to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
Image/Video Credits: KSL, Ferran Family
