Lovell crash survivor focuses on small victories like crossing her legs

One of Brittany Knop’s small goals in life right now is to be able to sit on the living room floor like she always did before the car accident that nearly claimed her life five days before Christmas.

The Lovell 21-year-old is recovering from a broken pelvis, knee and other injuries after spending more than a month in a Montana hospital and rehabilitation facility. She can’t yet get her body to do her favorite relaxation position.

“I want to be able to sit criss-cross applesauce,” she said. “I’m someone that sits criss-cross applesauce everywhere on the floor, in the recliner, on a kitchen chair, it didn’t matter. So I haven’t been able to do that.”

On Dec. 20, Knop was headed to Cody to meet friends and shop at Walmart for two children in the Angel Tree gift project sponsored by her bank. She stopped in Powell for chai tea and remembers driving through Ralston on U.S. 14A.

“The last thing I remember,” she said. Her car spun on ice, was hit head-on by one vehicle and T-boned by another. Her Apple Watch’s crash detection sent alerts to her dad and stepmom, who happened to be in Cody. Her father arrived while first responders were still trying to extricate her.

After being stabilized in Cody, she was airlifted to St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings, receiving 18 units of blood. Her small intestine was torn, pelvis broken in three places, femur shattered, ribs broken. She spent four days in ICU and three weeks in trauma recovery.

When she woke on Christmas Eve, her first thought was whether anyone had gotten gifts for the Angel Tree children she was shopping for. A coworker stepped in to make sure they had presents.

Knop is now home with her three cats, using crutches and hoping to return to work soon. She’s grateful for blood donors and plans to hike Porcupine Falls this summer. “Hopefully I will be able to try to hike this summer,” she said. “My left knee is the big issue. It’s too weak to do a lot of stuff right now.”