Caleb was a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant whose "knowledge and skill as a provider were unmatched."
Caleb Hopkins, 40, was having loads of fun with his family at Kansas Rocks Recreation Park on September 10, 2022, when he lost control of his Jeep Wrangler while going down a drop-off. This resulted in him being pinned underneath the vehicle, per a report from the Kansas Highway Patrol.
At the time of the accident, Caleb' 9-year-old son and another 12-year-old child were in the vehicle but both of them escaped with no injuries. According to PEOPLE, the highway patrol noted that all three were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident.
Erin Hopkins, Caleb's wife, took to social media to express her grief, but also shared how grateful she was that no one else was hurt.
"I am broken to have to share that Caleb passed away on Saturday afternoon in a tragic accident in our Jeep," Erin wrote on Facebook. "Micah was with him along with my brother-in-law, Britt, and his son, Jude. We are praising God that Micah, Britt and Jude were all physically unharmed.
Father of 2 Dies in Off-Roading Accident After 'Amazing Day' with Family: 'We Are All in Shock' https://t.co/ITVbfLaNq8
— People (@people) September 13, 2022
"They were enjoying an amazing day together doing one of the things Caleb absolutely loved at Kansas Rocks Recreational Park, a private property off-road park near Fort Scott, KS," she continued.
Erin called her husband "an experienced, calculated and meticulous Jeep driver who has always put safety first to protect and care for his family and passengers." She said Caleb and the two children were in the vehicle as her brother-in-law served as a spotter "as they methodically crawled down the rock steps of the trail."
Retailiating the statement that the police said, she shared that everyone in the car was wearing a seatbelt, which is why the accident was so "sudden and tragic," Erin wrote. "This was a sudden and tragic accident. We are all in shock," she said in the post.
She then thanked friends and loved ones for their support since the unfortunate accident, and she also asked people to keep her family in their prayers.
"We thank God for the time we had with Caleb," she said. "Our hearts are crushed and we know he has left a void that cannot be filled. Please keep Madeline, Micah, and I in your prayers now, and for years to come."
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to raise funds. The page's organizers said Caleb was a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant whose "knowledge and skill as a provider were unmatched."
"Outside of work, Caleb loved to be hands-on with new hobbies regularly," they said. "You could often find him brewing beer, smoking meats, or boating on the lake with his family."
The loss is going to be hard to cope with, but let's hope time heals all wounds.
References:
https://www.kansas.gov/khp-crashlogs/search/viewDetail/2022-010200
https://www.gofundme.com/f/caleb-hopkins
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
