BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) — A family in Bismarck is now back on their feet a year after a terrible crash changed their lives.

Tanner and Brody Tooke went to the hospital after they were badly hurt in a crash just a few miles from their home.

One year later, they say they’re grateful to be able to enjoy holidays like the 4th of July as a family again.

Eight-year-old Brody Tooke will soon be a third grader. But he’s not terribly excited about it.

“Not really, because I have to do homework. I don’t want to do homework,” Brody said.

You can’t blame him for not wanting summer to end, he’s just getting back into the swing of things.

“I broke my ankle, I broke this arm. What was it, like in three places?” Brody said asking his mom.

It was June 28 of last year when Brody and his dad were on their way to baseball practice.

“When I turned, the bat had fallen off the seat. And he’d asked for his bat. And it was making a tinging noise, so I reached back to grab his bat for him,” Brody’s dad Tanner said.

What seemed innocent at the time would change the Tooke family forever.

“As I reached back, I grabbed the steering wheel and we went into oncoming traffic,” Tanner said.

“I have both your husband and your son. They’re both at Sanford, but I need you to come,” Jessica said.

Tanner’s wife Jessica says she still has the voicemail. A short message that didn’t give away much about the crash on Centennial Road.

“Your heart sank because there was no way that, either of them walked away from that. Just by what the vehicle looked like,” Jessica said.

Jessica and her daughter recognized the car as they drove by the wreck on the way to the hospital.

“Tanner was coherent, but he was just screaming, ‘Brody, Brody, Brody’,” Jessica said.

“I remember everything from the accident. It’s something I don’t wish upon anybody,” Tanner said.

For Brody, it meant some broken bones and a summer of no more baseball. For Tanner, it was a flight to Fargo and a hip replacement.

“I went and saw my physical therapist here on Monday, I think it was,” Tanner said.

But a full year later, the Tookes say their life is just about back to normal.

“We’re all still here, it’s amazing. But it really tested us as far as who we are and what we can take on. So, I wouldn’t change it, by any means,” Jessica said.

But what also changed is that the Tookes say they don’t take anything for granted.

“Even before the accident, I couldn’t tell you how many times, when we were on a road trip, I would quickly unbuckle and grab something,” Jessica said. “Even after the accident, I have people stop me and say, ‘do you know how many times I’ve done that?’ Yeah. But do you know how many times we don’t do that now because of it? We literally pull over and stop now because of it. That’s just how we live our lives now.”

A life that these busy parents admit means being more cautious and not taking their eyes off the road.

Tanner says this month, he’s been cleared to go back to work full-time.

Two other people were hurt in the crash that day. So far, KX News is told both men have recovered.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Today's Top Stories

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KX NEWS.