They were coming back from a camping trip up nearby canyon (can see all the gear in the back). Here's how my dad described it in an email to my brother living out of country:
"On the way home from our activity up AF canyon, I ran Fred off the road, crossing the road. He hit a rock, jumped the front end into the air, hit and sheared off a tree, flipped around and smashed the passenger side into the wall of the canyon, and slid on his side to a stop. I don't remember any of this and so I have no idea if I blacked out or just what. I only saw the scene afterwards and pieced it together When I came to I was hanging in the driver's seat by my seat belt, and Caleb [my 15yo brother] and Noah [a family friend] were on the bottom side against the road. Caleb was in front and his door had peeled under the car in the collision, but he doesn't have a scratch on him, despite sliding along the ground for 20 feet or so with nothing holding him inside except the seat belt. His only wound is a blister from sunburn. Noah didn't have any visible injuries, but did end up with a concussion. I had a big gash on my head and was dripping blood down onto Caleb which probably freaked him out a bit. I came to and heard voices asking how they were doing to get us out of there. I reached over/up/down and opened the sun roof and we crawled out that way. The engine was still running too. I remember reaching in to turn it off but not being sure which way to turn it, so someone else turned it off and handed me the key.
He went 240,000 miles and will go no more, but he died with his boots on, cradling us inside, and his engine was still running. He was still trying. I'm thankful the power still worked so that the sun roof would open."
