The lone survivor of a state police medevac helicopter accident is showing signs of recovery, one day after the crash in a Prince George’s County park that killed four other people, her parents said.
Jordan Wells, 18, of Waldorf, has received treatment for serious injuries at Prince George’s Hospital Center and the University of Maryland Medical System, following the crash before 12:30 a.m. Sunday at Walker Mill Regional Park in Forestville.
“We are very, very thankful our daughter is alive,” her father, Scott Wells, said outside the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore on Monday afternoon. “Every time we talk to the doctors, it’s better news.”
Scott Wells, who was joined by Jordan’s mother, Lynn Wells, described Jordan’s injuries as “a lot of broken bones” with some internal injuries, adding that she’s still not able to speak. They communicate though squeezing hands and hugging, he said.
Rescuers and police were pivotal in her ability to survive, they said. The couple said they were placing their faith in God, trusting him for her recovery.
“We do believe one thing: God saved Jordan,” Scott Wells said.
The Wells said they had been expecting their daughter home from a carnival at 11 p.m. Saturday, and that they received word of the accident from Prince George’s County police around 4 a.m. Sunday.
Jordan is a “very outgoing, smart girl who could talk herself out of any amount of trouble,” the couple said.
The accident is being called the deadliest medevac helicopter accident in Maryland since state police began such assignments about 40 years ago, according to state officials.
The helicopter was leaving a traffic accident in Charles County and bound for the hospital when the pilot contacted air traffic controllers to say he would try to land at Andrews Air Force Base.
Killed in the crash were Jordan’s friend Ashley Younger, 17, of Waldorf, who also was involved in the traffic crash; state police pilot Stephen Bunker, 59, of Waldorf, who was a Wells family acquaintance; Trooper 1st Class Mickey Lippy, 34, of Westminster, the state police flight paramedic; and Waldorf Rescue Squad worker Tanya Mallard, 39, of Waldorf.
“Steve was a loving, devoted husband and father, and we will miss him more than words can say,” said Sherry Bunker, Bunker’s wife in a statement. “Being a pilot for the Maryland State Police fulfilled a life long dream for Steve. He loved helping people and he loved aviation. Being a pilot for the Maryland State Police enabled him to do both. Over his career in aviation, Steve and his colleagues saved countless lives. He was a hero to his family and all who knew him. He died doing what he loved to do. My husband was a rock within our family for 23 years. He has been, and will forever be, the love of my life.”
“We share a deep sense of loss for everyone who died,” Scott Wells said, adding that Younger was a “beautiful, sweet, loving girl.”
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash.
In the meantime, the Wellses said they would concentrate on their daughter and helping her get better.
“Lynn and I want to be Jordan’s parents,” Scott Wells said.
