Family rallies around Oklahoma father after head-on crash

A newlywed Oklahoma man expecting his first child with his wife is now facing a long road to healing after a devastating crash.

Zain Daniels had just married the love of his life in December. Now, the couple is preparing to welcome a baby boy.

But instead of getting ready for their son’s arrival, Daniels’ family says they are focused on helping him recover from serious injuries after a head-on crash.

Family members say Daniels was simply driving to pick up his daughter from school when the collision happened.

The crash left him hospitalized with three broken bones, facial fractures and an abdominal wound.

“Ideally, we hope that he would make a full recovery,” said his aunt, Tamara Daniels. “But the reality of it is we just don’t know because of the extent of the injuries. He will have issues in the future.”

Daniels’ aunt and stepmother say the situation has been especially difficult for his wife, Paige.

“She’s really stressed out,” said Anna Daniels, his stepmother. “She is pregnant with their child that they’re expecting, and so we try to keep the stress down to a minimum on her.”

The crash has also created major financial strain for the family.

Tamara Daniels says his job does not provide short-term or long-term disability benefits.

“His company doesn’t offer any type of short-term or long-term disability,” she said. “So his income is completely out of the picture. It’s just her income.”

With additional surgeries expected and medical bills continuing to grow, the family is now asking the community for help.

“It’s a family that’s going to have to struggle to make their ends meet because of somebody’s decisions that they made that day,” Anna Daniels said.

Family members describe Daniels as a caring and giving person who spends time giving back to young athletes in the community. He volunteers as a wrestling and baseball coach and is known as a dedicated family man.

His family says the recovery process could take more than a year.

For now, they say their focus is helping him heal, and preparing for the arrival of his baby boy.

A GoFundMe has been created to help the family with medical expenses: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-nephew-after-car-crash