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Alberta communities raising money for Duchess family after fatal crash in U.S.

Jul 7, 2022 | 3:28 PM

Communities in southeastern Alberta are in mourning after tragedy struck a Duchess family on the long weekend.

Darsey Larson, 40, and her 14-year-old son Koye were killed in a two-vehicle collision near Colome, South Dakota on July 3.

Darsey’s husband and Koye’s father Kyle, 45, suffered life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a Sioux Falls hospital.

Buck Christman of Duchess has started an online auction to support the Larson family.

“It is with the saddest of hearts that we write this post today,” he wrote on July 3 before detailing the tragedy. “We would like to run this benefit auction to help off set some of the medical costs and unforeseen expenses that are coming up.”

Christman says the auction will run until July 17. He asks anyone who wants to donate to post it on the site and says more details will come later.

Items already posted include gift certificates/cards, signed Calgary Flames memorabilia, vacation packages, a steer and much more.

Anyone who wants to make a cash donation can send it to buck03@telus.net.

A GoFundMe has been set up by Chad Whiteside.

“Darsey was a great woman with class and flair. Mother of two great children, a sister, a daughter, and one great friend to many,” he writes. “Koye was a vibrant young man with a second-to-none personality. With a life full of dreams ahead of him. He was a Son, a Nephew, a Grandson and a friend to so many great kids. Kyle is a fantastic man with the will to live and love second to none.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the page has raised close to $17,000 toward its $150,000 goal.

“They need help,” Whiteside writes. “Medical bills, and travel to get both Koye and Darsey remains back home. As well as a medical team to bring Kyle back to Alberta safe for his daughter.”

Sage, the Larsons’ 11-year-old daughter, was not with them at the time of the collision.

According to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, a 2001 Ford F-150 pickup was westbound on U.S. Highway 18 when it crossed the centerline and collided head-on with the Larsons’ eastbound 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 pickup pulling a cattle trailer.

The Larsons were all wearing seat belts.

Three of the four occupants of the Ford pickup sustained serious non-life-threatening injuries and all three were transported to Sioux Falls hospitals. Charges are pending against the driver.