MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – July 1st started off as a normal day at Marshfield Motor Speedway, until Katie Weaver hit the wall while going over 70 miles per hour.
She suffered a fractured neck and stretched spinal cord, and was immediately taken to Marshfield Medical Center-Marshfield. Her husband, and fellow racer, Tommy Weaver, hasn’t left her side since.
Weaver said, “I’m not too much of a religious person, but I sat down in that chapel for a while.” He said the accident has not only taken a toll on him, but also their three children.
Weaver said, “Something to help cover the bills, because we don’t have any income coming in, so it’s just to help us get through it more.”
But one good thing did come of the accident, a new rule called the “Katie Rule” was implemented that requires drivers to wear a neck collar when driving.
Tom Ledin, a member of the track safety crew, said, “It’s unfortunate that we had to have such a terrible accident for these rules to come in place, a lot of times when we do things, people don’t want to conform to rules.”
Katie no longer requires a ventilator to breathe, and her family says she’s on the road to recovery.
Weaver said that despite the accident, he plans to keep racing. He says all drivers understand the risk when they get into the car, and Katie would be mad at him if he didn’t.
The family started a GoFundMe page to help pay for Katie’s medical bills, raising over $700 dollars in the first week, Weaver says the support has been amazing.
