Nearly a month after his Harley-Davidson collided with a black bear on an Idaho mountain highway, longtime Teton County Detention Officer Bart Churches still has no memory of the crash — or even the days leading up to it.
Churches, 55, has made significant progress since he was airlifted with serious injuries from Idaho Highway 31 near Swan Valley on Oct. 7.
After being treated in intensive care at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, the 24-year veteran of the Teton County Sheriff's Office advanced to the hospital's progressive care unit.
His wife, Renae Churches, said the goal remains a full recovery — and despite the crash on Highway 31 that nearly killed him, that includes eventually getting back on a motorcycle.
Bart has been riding for more than 20 years, and the couple is looking forward to the ordinary things they took for granted before a bear suddenly crossed paths with his bike.
For now, however, there remains a hole in Bart's memory where the crash should be.
He remembers neither the collision nor the days before it, Renae told Cowboy State Daily.
A Knock At The Door
Renae wasn't with Bart when the crash happened.
She learned about it when two Teton County sheriff's officers arrived at her home and explained what had happened.
“I was in shock and surprise because he is a seasoned motorcycle rider of 20-plus years,” Renae said. “It was totally unexpected.”
The deputies drove her to the hospital, where she was met by Idaho State Police troopers and Bonneville County sheriff's officers.
What followed has been weeks of hospitals, uncertainty and incremental progress.
Bart first went to the intensive care. By Oct. 12, his family was reporting good progress and doctors hoped to move him out of the ICU.
Five days later, he was walking with assistance, but symptoms from his brain injury persist.
His family said recovery would be a process that could take as long as six months before they know the full extent of the injury.
The Bear
The crash happened at about 5:37 p.m. Oct. 7 near milepost 7 on Idaho Highway 31, north of Swan Valley.
Bart was traveling north on a 2016 Harley-Davidson when he struck a black bear in the roadway, according to Idaho State Police.
He was not wearing a helmet and was airlifted with serious injuries. The northbound lanes were blocked for about four hours.
At the time, police publicly identified him only as a 55-year-old Jackson man.
Marissa Williams was driving home to Idaho Falls from her job in Jackson that evening when traffic began piling up.
Williams makes that commute four days a week and estimates she has driven the route about 500 times.
As traffic eventually began moving past the crash site, Williams saw the wreckage and the gruesome aftermath of the collision. She initially couldn't tell what kind of animal had been hit.
“I've probably driven that pass and that canyon about 500 times,” Williams told Cowboy State Daily at the time. “But I've never seen a bear in there.”
No Helmet
Nathan Harris, a lifelong friend going back to the first day of sixth grade when the boys were seated next to each other in a Michigan classroom, said it's been tough.
When Bart lay in a hospital bed with a severe brain injury, Harris was there for the slow and sometimes confusing process of watching his lifelong friend begin to come back.
By Monday, Bart could have a conversation and was even trying to get out of bed himself, but was still struggling to understand where he was and what had happened, Harris said.
“This is expected due to the slow comeback from such a severe brain injury,” Harris said.
From what he has gathered between photos and the injuries, Harris believes Bart likely never saw the bear until it was too late.
The crash happened along a shadowy curve, he said, and the evidence suggests Bart had no time to slow before the front wheel jerked to the right, throwing his ribs into the motorcycle before pitching him into the air.
Harris believes Bart — who was not wearing a helmet — then came down headfirst, an impact that would explain the severe brain injury that has left the crash itself missing from his memory.
That was something they had argued about that before, said Harris.
24 Years At The Sheriff's Office
Bart has spent 24 years working as a detention officer for the Teton County Sheriff's Office, and his coworkers began rallying around the couple almost immediately.
Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr, sheriff's office employees and the Teton County Sheriff's Auxiliary have helped with transportation, housing and other needs in both Jackson and Idaho Falls, Renae said.
Her coworkers at Whole Foods in Jackson also have checked in regularly and offered support.
“The most important thing has been the thoughts and prayers from everyone,” Renae said. “We are very appreciative of that.”
Friends, family, coworkers, and even strangers have reached out.
Harris also organized a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses, family travel, lost work, and other costs for Bart's recovery.
Idaho Falls firefighters contributed $500 toward Bart's recovery.
As of Friday, it had raised nearly $19,000.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
