Idaho family shattered as father of 8 and teenage son set to graduate this week are killed in crash
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SANDPOINT — Family members and friends are mourning the loss of a Sandpoint father and his teenage son after they were killed in a crash on Memorial Day.
Josh Pilch, 48, and Coy Jensen, 18, died in the head-on collision that shut down a stretch of US-95 south of Sagle in northern Idaho around 1:25 p.m.
Jensen was driving south in a red 2011 Buick LaCrosse with Pilch when his vehicle crossed the center line and slammed into a northbound 2021 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by a 65-year-old Sandpoint man, according to Idaho State Police. The father and son died at the scene.
One of the people inside the Dodge Ram was flown to a hospital, while the other was taken by ambulance.
Pilch was the father of eight children, including Coy, according to a GoFundMe page set up for the family. Coy was supposed to walk at his graduation with high honors from Sandpoint High School this week and was planning to serve a mission in Chile for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this August.
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“He will now be serving from the other side,” the GoFundMe says. “Coy had a gift for making people feel cared for and loved. His laugh was contagious, his smile could light up any room, and he freely gave hugs that made others feel valued and important. He was thoughtful, compassionate, and always looking for ways to lift and encourage those around him.”
Pilch was “rough around the edges,” but the kind of man who would help at the drop of a hat, the fundraiser says. He loved God, treasured his freedom, and above all, loved his eight children.
“He was genuine to the core: if he cared about you, you knew it, and if he didn’t, he wouldn’t pretend. His passing leaves a tremendous void in the lives of his family, friends, and especially the children he loved so deeply,” the GoFundMe says.
Money raised from the fundraiser will help Pilch’s wife and Jensen’s mom, Kim Pilch, and her seven children. More information can be found here.
Our attorneys tell us we need to put this disclaimer in stories involving fundraisers: EastIdahoNews.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries.