Army Sgt. Jake Sheldon remains unconscious and on a ventilator at a Goodyear hospital, five days after a driver struck his motorcycle on Interstate 8 near Gila Bend.
Officials with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) told ABC15 the crash happened at 5:59 a.m. on June 10 on eastbound Interstate 8 at milepost 95. Sheldon was riding his motorcycle to visit friends at a nearby national park when a passenger vehicle struck him.
AZDPS troopers cited the driver for failure to control his vehicle to avoid a collision. The driver told troopers the sun was in his eyes and that he did not see the motorcycle. Investigators say they ruled out impairment.
Sheldon's family said he was wearing a helmet and full protective gear at the time of the crash.
"He was unconscious and he's still unconscious as of right now. He's on a ventilator and life support. The good news for today is that he has opened his eyes a couple of times," his uncle, Greg Sheldon, said.
The family is holding onto that as a sign of hope.
"It's a sign that he's in there and, uh, there's a good hope for him," Greg told ABC15.
The family is still piecing together the full circumstances of the crash and is calling on anyone who may have witnessed it to come forward.
"Nowadays with so many dash cams and people driving by taking pictures and stuff, if anybody happened to capture it on camera, or, you know, we would just love to connect with them," Greg Sheldon said.
The family is also pushing for a deeper look into what led up to the collision.
"We're gonna ask the authorities to dig deeper into it and see. You know, was he not paying attention? Was he on his phone, you know, who knows what," Greg Sheldon said. "We'd love to hear from any witnesses that happen to catch it or see anything. It would be helpful."
Sheldon's family traveled from California to be by his side during his recovery. A fundraiser has been set up to help cover their costs while they remain with him.
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