GoFundMe raises nearly $10k for Williams family

WILLIAMS, Ore.– Thousands of dollars have been donated to a Williams family after a tragic car accident on Friday.

23-year-old single father Braden Hales died in the crash on Williams Highway.

Hales was in the car with his daughter when his sedan was hit by a truck.

Now, the GoFundMe set up to cover funeral costs has raised over $9,500, just shy of it’s $10,000 goal.

Joanna Davis, the co-owner of the Applegate Lodge where Hales worked as a chef, said she can’t even explain how tragic his death is.

She said he was out buying school supplies for his young daughter, who is about to start kindergarten.

“We’re going to do something special for him,” she said, “we do have a GoFundMe page which has been really amazing how people have just come together.”

Davis said they are planning a celebration of life for Hales, but they haven’t decided on a date yet.

She said she is proud of how the Applegate and Williams community has rallied around the Hales family.

Davis said the Applegate Lodge will keep everyone posted on when the celebration of life will happen.

To make matters worse, the GoFundMe said Braden’s father suffered a heart attack shortly after his son’s death.

He’s since been released from the hospital.

You can find the link to the GoFundMe here.

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NBC5 News reporter Derek Strom is from Renton, Washington. He recently graduated from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communications at Washington State University with a degree in Broadcast News and a minor in Sports Management. He played in the drumline with the WSU marching band. These days, he plays the guitar and piano. Derek is a devoted fan of the Mariners, Seahawks, and Kraken.
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