Help injured ODOT Worker Grant Riedel Recover

Jim and Sherri Dille, longtime friends of the Riedel Family, are raising funds for their son Grant who recently suffered life threatening injuries in an on-the-job accident. His injuries are catastrophic which will require structural changes to his home and modifications to an automobile to allow him to drive due to the amputation of his right leg.

Thirty-eight-year-old Grant Riedel, a lifelong resident of North Clackamas County and graduate of La Salle High School, attended Gonzaga University for three years before starting a career at Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). He loves his job, the work they do and the numerous co-workers he calls friends. After 15 years with ODOT, on Wednesday 11/10/21 his life was changed forever by the careless act of a driver on I-205 in Clackamas. Trying to get around congestion the driver clipped several vehicles and collided with the back of a concrete truck so hard he ricocheted into Grant and a co-worker, Ashley. Ashley was bruised and very sore, but Grant suffered catastrophic injuries that were life threatening. Both legs broken, multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a severe laceration on his skull and massive loss of blood. He was rushed to the Trauma Center at OHSU and in the first day and a half went through 12 or more hours of surgery and 30 plus units of blood. Then on Friday 11/12/21 the Doctors amputated his right leg where it was broken above the knee...in the ICU because he was too weak and unstable to move to an operating room. That amputation probably saved his life. Grant spent over two weeks in the ICU and still faces new medical issues every few days, but signs are looking up.

As an on-the-job injury we presume his immediate medical expenses are covered, but needless to say there will be many changes in his life. It is highly unlikely that he could return to the work he loves, and it will be months of recuperation and rehabilitation before even entertaining thoughts of working again. It is probable that accommodations will have to be made to his home. Given the loss of the right leg the ability to drive again will require modifications to the controls in a car. During the months ahead Grant will need to hire people to do things at home that he could do before.

For these reasons and more we haven't considered yet we know that Grant, his parents Gordon and Debbie, and his brother Scott will be forever grateful for any help this account provides. Thank You!