Family seeks support for Tenino man injured in seven-vehicle on Interstate 5

A fundraiser to help pay for the medical care of the Tenino man who was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after he was injured in a seven-vehicle crash in Thurston County last week had raised over $11,500 as of Tuesday afternoon. The goal is $20,000.

According to the Washington State Patrol, Daniel G. Curulla, 38, of Elma, was traveling north at mile marker 103 on northbound Interstate 5 in Tumwater when his Nissan van struck the back of a Subaru driven by Sheryl L. Rogers, 62, of Chehalis, as she was stopped for traffic.

The crash propelled the Subaru into the stopped 2023 Ford Escape in front of it, which then crashed into a Nissan Versa. The Nissan then struck the rear of a Toyota Corolla and a Freightliner. Debris from the crash reportedly struck a Dodge Journey traveling in the southbound lanes.

Rogers and her passenger, Knut I. Larsen, 61, of Tenino, were injured. Larsen was transported to Harborview following the crash. Rogers was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

No other injuries were reported.

Trooper John Dattilo told The Olympian the wreck happened after traffic built up behind a separate two-vehicle collision. He said the two-vehicle collision did not result in serious injuries, fatalities or arrests, The Olympian reported.

Larsen, a corrections officer for the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the father of three children, sustained large lacerations in his head, six broken ribs, multiple broken vertebrae and an injured spinal cord, according to his daughter Katarina Lewis.

“He has a long road ahead of him and will need to severely alter his daily life. His children have flown from across the country to be at his side and will remain here for the foreseeable near future,” Lewis wrote in a description to an online fundraiser following the Oct. 2 crash.

As of Sunday, Oct. 6, Larsen had made it through two abdominal surgeries and was doing well, but was still unresponsive and still in critical condition.

“We are now beginning to try and think about what things may look like in the near future and determine how long we will need to stay close by,” Lewis wrote in an Oct. 6 update, adding that family members might need to secure a short-term rental in the Seattle area until Larsen is stable enough to be transferred to a lower acuity facility closer to his home.

“There is a lot still unknown and his outcome is yet to be determined. Hopefully we will know more after his surgeries,” Lewis wrote.

“Your donations, generosity, love, support, encouragement, cards and food has already eased our stress and will continue to help us immensely. It will be a logistical challenge to be here to support and speak on behalf of our father, while also trying to keep our families afloat back at our respective homes,” she wrote.

For more information on Knut’s condition or to donate, visit https://gofund.me/6b0b0482 .