Fundraisers aim to help Big Island families impacted by 2 accidents that killed 2 teens

During a week, two tragic accidents happened on the Big Island that led to the death of two teenagers. To help the families of those involved, two GoFundMe pages have been set up, with a combined $65,000 already raised.

On Oct. 17, Natalie Wipp was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash between a sedan and semi tractor-trailer in Waikōloa that caused the death of one of her dearest friends, identified by police as Jessica Ann Sprinkle of Waikōloa, and also seriously injured two other friends.

The Hawai‘i Police Department responded to the crash at about 8 a.m. at the intersection of Māmalahoa Highway and Waikōloa Road.

Investigators determined a silver 2022 Chevrolet Spark sedan was turning left onto Māmalahoa Highway from Waikōloa Road when it was broadsided by a white 2018 Peterbilt semi tractor-trailer heading south on Waikōloa Road. Sprinkle was driving the sedan.

Wipp and the other two surviving passengers are currently receiving trauma care on Oʻahu. Wipp is facing a long physical and emotional recovery, according to a GoFundMe organized by Malle Malia Zablan. 

The fundraiser was created to help Wipp and her family heal, while taking some of the financial burden off the cost of medical procedures and rehabilitation. 

“We are deeply, deeply moved by all the love, prayers, and support from our family and friends and our small community,” Natalie’s mother Dara Wipp said in a message on the GoFundMe page. “Please continue to pray for her and her friends’ strength … whatever you’ve got, we’ll take it! Thank you all so much for loving her…”

Dara Wipp provided two updates with the first posted on Oct. 20.

“Natalie is still in a lot of pain and discomfort. Her left eye is extremely swollen still–have to wait for that to go down before surgery, which is scheduled for Nov. 8. She is very sensitive to light, so we’ve been sitting in the dark the last couple days. She will require a walker for getting around for a while since her balance and strength is compromised.

“Her room is filled with beautiful flowers and all the nurses LOVE her,” she continued. “Thank you all so much for the support and love. I need a bigger word for how I feel. Mahalo!”

The second update was posted Tuesday, and describes some of Natalie Wipp’s injuries, saying she will need surgery to her eye, a nose job and therapy to look and feel like herself. 

To date, $47,176 has been raised for the $50,000 goal.

On Tuesday, a 13-year-old boy from Kailua-Kona was killed after being ejected from a rugged terrain vehicle he was riding on after it crashed into a rock embankment in North Kona.

Hawai‘i Island police say Maxim Beregovoy was riding, with an 8-year-old driving an orange Kubota RTV X900 at about 5:45 p.m. in the 72-1000 block of Puukala Road.

The vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a rock embankment and overturned, causing Maxim to be ejected from the vehicle. He was later transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7 p.m.

The 8-year-old boy sustained minor, non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene before being released.

A family member, Anna Beregovoy, organized a GoFundMe page to help the family fund a funeral service commemorating his life soon. She also used the platform to describe Maxim and his family.

“On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Eugene and Olesya Beregovoy’s son Maxim passed away in a tragic accident,” Anna Beregovoy stated on the page. “He was a sweet, caring, and incredibly smart boy with a bright future. He was also the eldest of seven siblings, whose ages range from 12 years to 11 days, dying young at the tender age of 13.”

His hobbies included exploring the great outdoors, doing science experiments and designing projects that let him learn and satisfy his genuine curiosity,” she continued. “He will be missed terribly, as everyone who knew him loved him dearly.”

The Beregovoy GoFundMe has raised $18,179 of its $35,000 goal so far. 

After reporting the RTV accident on Tuesday, the Hawaiʻi Police Department noted that there has been a 60% increase in traffic fatalities with 25 this year, compared to 15 at this time in 2023.