Hoover’s Valley father of 7 seriously injured in ATV crash

CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER

HOOVER’S VALLEY —  A father of seven fights for his life at University Medical Center Brackenridge after an all-terrain vehicle accident on CR 118 on what was supposed to be a night of fun with friends, according to family members.

The driver of the ATV — 36-year-old Jerry Alexander — is undergoing several surgeries after the accident that happened about 12:30 a.m. July 18 in a rural neighborhood just off Hoover’s Valley Road in Burnet County.

“We were at home, and he decided to go on the four-wheeler on a ride with his son’s best friend,” said wife, Denise Alexander. “He’s ridden with him for a long time, years. It happened so fast.”

Information from the Texas Department of Public Safety about the crash investigation is pending.

An 18-year-old male, who was reportedly a passenger on the ATV, has been treated and released from the hospital.

Jerry Alexander’s sister, Jennifer Seyfried of Cottonwood Shores, was visiting the family on the night of the crash and was not aware of the accident until she noticed signs of an EMS response in the neighborhood.

“He had been gone about 30 to 45 minutes. Denise thought he’s kind of been gone for a little while, so she said she’d go look for him, and I stayed at the house in case he shows back up,” Seyfried said. “As I was sitting there, we saw the helicopter, and I knew something was not right.”

Emergency crews airlifted Alexander to the hospital in Austin, where he remains on a respirator and is undergoing surgeries.

Alexander, a Burnet High School graduate known as an avid local youth sports fan, works in the communications and fiber-optics installation industry.

Friends have set up an GoFundMe.com donation account to help with medical expenses. To donate, click here.

“He is fighting so hard for his life right now. He is a wonderful man, a loving husband, dad and brother,” said Denise Alexander, who brought four of the seven children, ages 15 to 20, into their blended family. “He is stable and doing good, but it’s going to take a lot of time.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have health insurance on him, and at this point with our income, we don’t qualify for assistance.”

The family awaits word about what happened that night as they find strength through friends and family.

“Our community always comes together, and we really need it for Jerry right now,” she said. “I just want to thank everyone (who has donated) and the continued prayers because honestly the good Lord is the only one who knows how this is going to turn out.”

connie@thepicayune.com