Canadian man hurt in Fountain Hills crash to be flown back to Calgary

PHOENIX — A Canadian man left in a coma after he and others were hit by a car in Fountain Hill was expected to be medically evacuated to Calgary this week.

Ronald Doornbos, 60, was recently cleared by doctors for medical evacuation over the weekend, the Calgary Sun reported.

The Calgary man suffered a traumatic head injury after 27-year-old Alex Bashaw struck a group of pedestrians with his SUV in Fountain Hills. Doornbos’ wife, Patti, 60, and 71-year-old Karen Bonta and her husband Robert, 72, were killed.

Ronald Doornbos has required multiple emergency surgeries.

Although he was medically cleared to travel, the family decided to wait until Wednesday so a trauma bed could be available at Foothills Medical Centre, Rhonda Francis, one of Patti Doornbos’ sisters, told the Calgary Sun. She was hopeful Ronald Doornbos will be flown back to Calgary either Wednesday or Thursday.

An Alberta Health Services spokesperson said the transfer was expected to happen Wednesday afternoon.

The road to recovery was expected to take months.

“They said he’ll have profound weakness in his upper extremities, and first of all we have to get him to wake up, although he is showing some signs,” Francis told the Sun.

Karen and Robert Bonta were walking northbound on the sidewalk of Saguaro Boulevard at Palisades Boulevard around 9:30 a.m. when they stopped to cross the street and were hit. Patti and Ronald Doornbos were walking northbound on the east sidewalk of Saguaro Boulevard, approaching Palisades Boulevard, when they were hit.

The couples did not appear know each other and were not together at the time of the crash.

A funeral was expected to be held for his wife, Patti Doornbos, once he is back home.

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