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Victims Of Fatal Van Crash Remembered
Survivors Recall Event
POSTED: 5:17 pm MST November 15,
2009
UPDATED: 6:25 am MST November 16,
2009
FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. -- Hundreds of members of New Life Worship Center gathered Sunday to remember the victims of a fatal church van crash, and to honor the survivors.Taune Winter, 23, and 20-year-old Joshua Pischura were killed.Nine of the survivors of the one-vehicle rollover crash, which happened Thursday in Baker City, Ore., were at the service. The young adults are all part of a discipleship program at the church. They were attending a conference in Oregon to raise money for the church when the crash happened.
"I wish I could take everyone's pain. I see those over there in the wheelchair, and I want that. I don't want them to have that. It's not their fault," said Nicole Byrd, who was driving the van.Byrd said they had just stopped in Baker City for a break. When they got back on the highway she put the van on cruise control. Then she hit a patch of black ice."Before I knew it, the vehicle just started wobbling and it veered. I had no control over it. All of a sudden we were flipping and tumbling through the median on the right side," Byrd said."I remember flipping, getting thrown from the car, just tucking in a ball and hitting the blacktop," said Brett Iserman, who suffered minor injuries. "I remember opening up my eyes, seeing stars and taking one big breath and spitting blacktop out of my mouth. Then, looking around, there’s like five bodies around me," he said.Iserman was one of 13 people who were thrown from the vehicle."I believe Taune and I were thrown the furthest," said Keta Smith. "I don't know how far that was. It could have been 100 feet. But, when I jumped up, I noticed we were pretty far from the rest of the group."Smith said she and Byrd, who could both walk, went to every person to try to comfort them and cover them with blankets and jackets, and told them help was on the way."I held J.P. and I kept saying, 'Breathe, J.P., breathe.' And I said, 'God, breathe life into J.P.'s body.' I just said, 'Breathe life into his body.' He took three deep breaths really slowly, and that was it," Smith said.J.P. was a nickname for Joshua Pischura."He had patience, and he would always dance. He was just so full of love," said Lavan Sayed, who lived with Pischura and Winter."Taune was a joy. Her love language was giving gifts," said Sayed. "She was full of grace. Just watching her, she taught me how to have grace, and how to have love, and how to give."
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