River Bluff principal’s family raising money after Hawaii car crash, daughter’s surgery

Bristow Marchant
·2 min read
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The family of River Bluff High School Principal Jacob Smith on a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the family after a car crash while on vacation in Hawaii left three injured.

The Lexington family injured in a car crash while on vacation in Hawaii last week are close to meeting a $30,000 fundraising goal to cover medical costs.

The performance of the Smith family’s GoFundMe page comes as Bekah Smith, the daughter of River Bluff High School Principal Jacob Smith, is recovering from surgery in a Honolulu hospital to heal injuries from last week’s crash.

Jacob, Bekah and Jacob’s son Banks were all injured when the car they were traveling in hydroplaned, crossed the median and collided head-on with an oncoming car before the vehicle struck a roadside lava wall, according to a Facebook post from Radius Church in Lexington, where the Smiths attend.

As of Monday morning, the GoFundMe had raised some $27,000 out of a $35,000 goal, with more than 300 individual donations.

Bekah Smith had a successful surgery on Sunday in a Honolulu hospital, the family shared on a Caring Bridge page to document her recovery. Bekah had been flown to an intensive care unit in the state capital after the crash on the big island of Hawaii, while Jacob and Banks were admitted to a hospital in Hilo with less serious injuries.

Radius Pastor John Reeves said two church members had flown to Hawaii at the end of last week to assist the family. The church held a prayer vigil for the family on Thursday after news of the accident broke, drawing around 100 people, including family members and River Bluff students.

Jacob Smith has been with the Lexington 1 school district for about a decade and was promoted to principal at River Bluff ahead of the 2021-22 school year.

The school district sent an email Friday to staff and families at the high school with a message from the principal.

“He asked me to please express his appreciation for all the support, care and concern shown to his family,” chief communications officer Libby Roof wrote in the email. “The support from home and in Hawaii has been overwhelming. The family is so grateful.

“The family continues to pray for a full recovery for everyone involved in the accident and appreciates your continued support.”