SLC firefighter injured, nephew killed in crash with wrong-way driver

SALT LAKE CITY — Twenty-year veteran Andy Maxwell was seriously injured in a deadly crash earlier this month that took his nephew’s life. 

“He used to come to this fire station when he was a kid,” John Maxwell said of his son Andrew Maxwell, 42. 

John Maxwell’s legacy as a Salt Lake City firefighter extends to his son. 

“A lot of good times here. I’m really proud of him,” John Maxwell said. 

The Father and son devoted their careers to Fire Station 8. John Maxwell is a 31-year veteran and Andrew Maxwell just completed 20 years of service. 

But instead of celebrating Andrew Maxwell’s service, John Maxwell gave an update on the tragic accident that left the 42-year-old seriously injured. 

The road to recovery

“He’s probably going to have to learn how to walk again,” John Maxwell said of his son’s injuries which include fractures to his legs, feet, back and sternum.

Andrew Maxwell has undergone four surgeries and is expected to have three or four more. 

Their family is also reeling from the loss of 10-year-old nephew Liam Love who died in the Oct. 17 crash with a wrong-way driver in Millard County. Andrew Maxwell was bringing his two nieces and Love home after the fall school break. 

The wrong-way driver also died in the crash. She was identified by the Utah Highway Patrol as Melissa MacDonald, 55, of Florida. According to Lt. Cam Roden, of the Utah Highway Patrol, the crash remains under investigation. It appears MacDonald had veered into oncoming traffic shortly before the crash. Roden also said there were no obvious signs to indicate she was driving under the influence.

“There’s no words to describe it,” John Maxwell said. “Anyone that has lost a child can kind of understand. It’s been hard on all of us. We’ve known these kids their whole lives and to know that we’re going to have more family gatherings without Liam is just hard.” 

Andrew Maxwell’s 8-year-old niece Gracie is also in serious but stable condition and remains hospitalized. As for a 15-year-old niece, John Maxwell said she suffered only minor injuries and was “extremely lucky.” 

“Everybody was wearing seatbelts and that’s what saved everybody but Liam,” John Maxwell said. 

Grateful

While John Maxwell’s family faces a long recovery, he’s grateful for the real-life heroes who are stepping in during their time of need and for the unity his family is experiencing. 

“It’s been awesome,” he said. “We’re all going to get through it together, we’re all relying on each other.”   

The wrong-way driver is a 55-year-old woman from Florida, Melissa McDonald. She also died in the crash. 

There are a couple of *GoFundMe accounts to help both the Love and Maxwell families. 

America First Charity Account: 9131186.

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