The Honda Pilot driven by Eileen Nielsen that was involved in crash near Santa Rosa Wednesday evening. Nielsen, her daughter Stephanie and son Jacob sustained minor injuries, however four people in another vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. Courtesy photo

The passenger side of the vehicle. Courtesy photo

The RV that crossed the median in Wednesday night’s crash near Santa Rosa. Courtesy photo

Members of a Los Alamos family involved in a multi-vehicle accident early Wednesday evening near Santa Rosa are recovering from their injuries this morning. Eileen Nielsen, her daughter Stephanie and son Jacob were traveling westbound on I-40 when a recreational vehicle that had blown a tire crossed the median and struck their Honda Pilot at about a 45 degree angle.

All three were transported to Guadalupe County Hospital in Santa Rosa and were released close to midnight. Four people in another car involved in the accident were pronounced dead at the scene.

“There was no way to dodge it, as it happened in a matter of a couple of seconds. I skewed the wheel left and the RV hit us hard at full speed off-center towards the passenger side. If it had not been off-center, we would have died,” Eileen Nielsen told the Los Alamos Daily Post.

She said all three of them found themselves dangling upside down by their seatbelts. They crawled out of the car but Nielsen said they are not sure exactly how they got out of whichever exit they found. She said they crawled down the center median to get away from the accident.

“The SUV towed by the RV apparently jackknifed after the RV hit us and completely flattened a car behind us killing all four of its occupants,” Nielsen said.

Seaman Nikolai Cooper was about three quarters of a mile behind the accident. He had recently finished basic training for the Coast Guard and was traveling from Houston, Tex., to Petaluma, Calif.

Cooper told the Daily Post that he ran to the scene and was shocked to find people just standing around taking photos of the accident. He called out, “Active duty Coast Guard” to get through and asked New Mexico State patrollers who had arrived what he could do to help. He said they directed him to where the Nielsens were in the median.

Cooper stayed with the Nielsens and followed them when they were transported by ambulance to the hospital. He arranged accommodation for them when they were released and stayed on hand to assist when family members arrived from Los Alamos.

“I left Houston after visiting family and was headed to Petaluma, which will be my first duty station. I am happy to be able to help the Nielsens. They are an amazing, close-knit family,” Cooper said. “I plan to stay with them until they get back on the road to Los Alamos.”

View of the interor of the Nielsen vehicle from the rear. Courtesy photo