Yuma teacher severely injured in ATV crash

A beloved Yuma teacher is in a Phoenix-area hospital after being involved in an ATV crash - 13 On Your Side's Arlette Yousif reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA/KECY) - A local teacher was riding her ATV through her neighborhood in the Foothills on January 30th when she had trouble making a turn and crashed.

Deborah Wiles suffered severe injuries to her upper body, head, and face and is now undergoing multiple surgeries in her long road to recovery.

Danette LaDuke says doctors didn’t expect her sister to survive.

"All the nurses and doctors have just been amazed at how she has, you know, recovered through all of this and pulled through. You know, they’ve all said that it’s a miracle because typically people that come in like this, they don’t wind up making it or surviving" says Wiles' sister Danette LaDuke.

LaDuke says it was Wiles’ neighbor who found her and helped her until first responders arrived.

"My family is very grateful for everybody that was a part of getting her the medical attention that she needed," explains Laduke.

But Wiles has a ways to go… even having to re-learn how to speak again. After the impact on her face and the reconstructive surgeries, it’s still painful for her to talk.

"She has to kinda take it a little easy ‘cause Deborah's pretty strong-willed so she’s wanting to get back home as quickly as she can to her family," says LaDuke.

Wiles is a 6th-grade math teacher at Castle Dome Middle School and is looking forward to getting back to her family and students. LaDuke says she and her family are grateful for everyone who has shown up for wiles during this difficult time.

"She does miss everybody and she appreciates everything," says LaDuke.

To help Wiles and her family during this difficult time, you can visit their GoFundMe page. Castle Dome Middle School is also holding a drive-thru spaghetti fundraiser for Wiles on February 17th on a pre-order basis. Proceeds will go to the Wiles family.