Adam McWherter: Iowa boy, 13, dies a week after being hit by a car while sledding down his driveway

BUFFALO, IOWA: An Iowa teenager tragically lost his life more than a week after he was hit by a car while sledding down his driveway. 13-year-old Adam McWherter was sledding with a friend at his home on Buffalo Road near Anamosa on January 10 when he slid into the roadway and was hit by a GMC Envoy, according to The Gazette and The Kansas City Star.

The 49-year-old driver of the SUV told the Iowa State Patrol he hit the brakes, but was not able to stop in time, according to NBC affiliate WHO-DT.

A GoFundMe has been set up for Adam McWherter's family

A loved one posted on a GoFundMe campaign for the McWherter family that Adam "was struck by a car while just being a kiddo on a snow day." Adam's mother Amanda wrote that the teen “was instantly knocked unconscious” upon being hit. Sergeant Alex Dinkla said the boy was in critical condition following the crash, according to WHO-DT.

Adam McWherter sustained several injuries

Adam sustained several injuries, including a broken clavicle, a pelvic bone fracture, a spinal fracture above his shoulders and bleeding in his skull, Amanda said. The boy's 15-year-old friend Lucas was also injured in the crash, according to a separate GoFundMe campaign.

Adam was then taken to Jones Regional Medical Center in Anamosa and later transferred to the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Amanda added. The teen died on Saturday, January 20, 10 days after the incident, as per the reports. 

Adam McWherter dreamed of attending MIT

Adam was a seventh-grade student at the Anamosa Community School District, according to his obituary. The "big-hearted" teen dreamed of attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and “aspired to become either an engineer or a paleontologist.”

He also “loved his family” and “will be remembered for his amazing hugs, intelligence and incredible sense of humor," the obituary shared. “Adam was always curious and ready to explore all the world had to offer," the tribute added.

On the GoFundMe, Amanda asked supporters to “continue to pray for” Lucas and his family. “Our families have spoken and we are here to support each other as we go through this together,” she wrote.

Adam’s mother also asked people to include the SUV driver and his family in their prayers in the wake of the crash. “We are not the only ones hurting and they also have a hard road in front of them,” she wrote, adding “We have been holding them in our hearts and prayers since that moment and that will never stop.” 

According to the reports, an investigation into the January 10 incident is ongoing.