Seaside teacher suffers spinal injury when tree falls on car during windstorm

SEASIDE Ore. (KPTV) - A Seaside teacher is recovering after a tree struck her family’s car during the Monday windstorm.

Tracey Wright has taught at Pacific Ridge Elementary for more than a decade and currently teaches first grade.

On Monday, Tracey, her husband Ron, and their daughter Elisabeth were driving home after celebrating Tracey’s birthday weekend.

That night, the coast and much of the Metro Portland area experienced severe weather with high winds and heavy rain.

When the Wright family approached Seaside on U.S. 26 near milepost 8, a tree suddenly fell, crushing their car. The accident occurred less than 15 miles from their home.

Friends of the Wright family say the severe weather complicated emergency responders’ ability to reach the scene, but they were diligently working to assist the family.

Once Oregon State Police arrived, Tracey’s husband and daughter were taken to Providence Seaside Hospital with minor injuries.

Tracey’s injuries, however, were far more serious.

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First responders rushed her to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where doctors discovered she had fractured her cervical spinal cord, specifically the C6 vertebra.

Tracey is currently experiencing paralysis in the lower half of her body.

In a recent Facebook post, Tracey wrote, “Right now I have no feeling from the waist down, limited feeling in my arms, and no function with my fingers.”

While Tracey continues to receive medical care, her family, friends, and community are rallying around her.

“She frankly instills the love of learning in the young people she has had an opportunity to influence, and there have been generations of them in this community ... our intent is to get her home,” said Jeff Roberts, principal of Seaside High School.

Roberts and his wife Nissa are close family friends of the Wrights, who they said are “known to be givers.”

While the future of Tracey’s health remains uncertain, she is setting short-term goals.

She hopes to attend her daughter Elisabeth’s high school graduation in the spring.

“I’m fortunate to be able to hand her, her diploma,” Roberts said.

Friends of the Wright family have set up an online fundraiser to help with expenses as she recovers, and are posting regular updates on her recovery journey.