Family’s Truck Stolen During Cross Country Trip

Hello, my dear friends Todd and Kristin and their homeschooled son, were over 2,000 miles from home on a cross country road trip when their Ford F-250 and almost all of their belongings were stolen from their hotel parking lot in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had packed three weeks worth of multi-season clothing, shoes, camping gear, hiking gear, DSLR cameras and lenses, binoculars, food, homeschool books and many other supplies to last throughout their three-week trip. All of that was stolen along with the truck which was locked and parked in a well-lit area. They have filed a police report and an insurance claim, however insurance will only cover the vehicle itself, $250 worth of the contents of the vehicle and a rental car for long enough to help them get back home. Since the vehicle was stolen, insurance won’t pay until at least 20 days have passed since the theft and the family will need to have a rental vehicle during that time and until they are able to buy another suitable vehicle.

 

They estimate that the contents of the vehicle will cost at least $10,000-$12,000 to replace. It is also unlikely that they will get the full replacement cost of their vehicle since it has many upgrades and the cost of that type of vehicle has risen dramatically over the past several years since they purchased it.

 

Even more heartbreaking than the financial loss is the loss of personal items, most especially the beloved stuffed orca that their son has carried since he was one-year-old.

 

The family is trying to make do with what they have remaining to finish their trip and head home. They have already had to spend several hundred dollars to purchase essentials that were stolen. They were planning to camp during the last leg of the trip and will now have additional unexpected hotel costs as well.

 

Anything you can do to help them recover from this unexpected and devastating event is greatly appreciated. They estimate their total loss to be between $40,000-$50,000. I have known the family for many years and this would be very helpful to them.