Yelm motorcyclist undergoes surgery Tuesday after Friday crash in Lacey

Sept. 18--A 37-year-old Yelm motorcyclist underwent surgery Tuesday after suffering serious injuries in a crash on Rainier Road in Lacey Friday morning, the man's wife told The Olympian.

Jason Brown was first taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia on Friday, but was later flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He emerged from surgery Tuesday afternoon, said Kristal Brown.

His injuries were considered life-threatening at first, including what Kristal called a "severed aorta." He also broke many bones.

"He has many metal plates and screws and rods holding him together," she said.

About 9:45 a.m. Friday, Jason Brown was riding his motorcycle in the area of Rainier Road Southeast and Rainier Loop Southeast, a Thurston County dispatcher said.

Brown was southbound on Rainier Road, while a man in a pick-up truck was northbound. The pickup driver started to turn left onto Rainier Loop and the two crashed head-on, Lacey Detective Jon Mason said Tuesday.

The man driving the truck was issued a ticket for failing to yield, Mason said.

Brown's motorcycle slid under the truck while he went over it, Kristal Brown said. Jason Brown was wearing a helmet.

Both Kristal and Jason Brown work for Walmart -- he at the neighborhood store in Lacey, while she in Yelm. She's concerned about how long he might be out of work and the financial strain on the family.

He has health insurance through Walmart and short-term disability payments will cover his premiums for now, she said.

"It's hard how everything can change in a blink of an eye," she said.

The Brown family has created a GoFundMe page that seeks to raise $40,000.

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