Family Devastated by Loss of Father, Son in Horrific Bastrop County Car Wreck
Bob Richardson from The Bob Richardson Law Firm on Vimeo.
On September 3, 2006 — a bright Sunday morning on Labor Day weekend — tragedy struck the Ivicic family of central Texas as they drove on Highway 290 in Bastrop County en route to a family dirt bike outing.
A Mini Cooper, driven by 19-year-old Christopher Williams, crossed the center-line of the road, missing one car and clipping a motorcycle before it slammed head-on into a Jeep sport utility vehicle and caused it to burst into flames.
The driver of the SUV, Michael Ivicic, a 32-year-old mechanic, and his nine-year-old son, Jonathan, died instantly in the horrific crash, while Michael’s wife, Pamela McBride, a 36-year-old health worker, suffered severe second- and third-degree burns to her legs and shoulder. Steven Ivicic, Michael’s brother and the motorcycle driver, nearly lost his leg in the crash.
Jessica McBride, Pamela’s 16-year-old daughter, watched the accident and its aftermath unfold from the backseat of the car that had narrowly escaped being involved in the wreck.
Ambulances rushed Pamela and Steven to Brackenridge Hospital, where they received emergency treatment and, in the ensuing weeks, multiple surgeries to repair their injuries.
Pamela eventually had her skin treated through a painful debridement procedure. Steven, a 38-year-old truck driver, consented to having his left leg amputated below the knee to prevent further health complications and allow him to return to work. They both continued to suffer physical and emotional scars, including depression, short-term memory loss and depression.
The fatal car accident devastated Michael and Jonathan’s family, including Michael’s parents, Karen and Michael Ivicic, and Jonathan’s mother, Kelly Petray. Friends and family described Michael as a warm, loving, hard-working man who loved motorcycles and spending time with his family. Jonathan’s mother said her son was “my best friend.”
“The hardest part,” Kelly said, “we never got to say goodbye.”