Family identifies Ogden Canyon crash victim, prepares to say goodbye

OGDEN — The family of the 22-year-old woman critically injured in a motorcycle crash near the mouth of Ogden Canyon earlier this week said she is not expected to survive.

In a statement released Saturday, the Huggins family identified the young woman as Katie Sue Ruth Huggins and said she is on life support following the Oct. 27 crash. They said she is expected to pass away in the coming days.

"Our family is preparing for the heartbreaking reality of saying goodbye in the coming days," the statement read.

The update comes one day after authorities confirmed Box Elder County Sheriff Kevin Potter was the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash. Potter was placed on voluntary administrative leave while the crash is under investigation.

According to the Ogden Police Department, the crash occurred around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Canyon Road and Valley Drive near the mouth of Ogden Canyon.

Investigators said preliminary information indicates Huggins was traveling eastbound on Canyon Road on a motorcycle when it collided with a vehicle turning from Valley Drive onto westbound Canyon Road. She was wearing a helmet and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

In their statement, the Huggins family said Halloween carries special significance because Oct. 31 marks the anniversary of Katie's adoption.

"Fourteen years ago, when Katie was just 7 years old, Halloween became her adoption day and the day she officially became a member of our family," the family wrote. They said they will always remember her dressed as Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz" as she began "a new chapter surrounded by the love and belonging she deserved."

"It is a day we have celebrated every year, a reminder of the love that brought us together and the gift of having her in our lives. We simply could not bear to let this day pass without honoring her and the beautiful life we have shared," the statement continued.

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Despite their grief, the family said Katie's legacy will continue through organ donation.

"Katie is an organ donor, and through her generosity, she has the opportunity to touch and save the lives of others," the statement said. "That is a gift that will carry her love forward in ways we cannot yet imagine."

The family said Huggins will be remembered for her love of motorcycles, animals, family and friends.

"She brought her own special spirit into the lives of those who knew and loved her, and she will forever hold a place in our hearts," the family wrote.

"We hope that amid this tragedy, people will remember Katie not for the circumstances of her accident, but for the life she lived, the love she gave, and the people whose lives she touched," the family said. "May her story remind us of the power of love, the importance of family, and the life-changing gift of belonging."

"We love you to the moon and back, Goofy Sue. Fourteen years ago, you found your way home to us, and you will always be home in our hearts. As Dorothy reminded us, 'There's no place like home,'" the family concluded in the statement.

The Huggins family is asking for privacy and compassion as they navigate the coming days.