Family in need after Veyo bus explosion

VEYO — A family of six needs help after their converted bus motorhome caught fire and exploded.

The Copeland family was traveling around the country living in a converted bus, and had been stopped in Veyo for about a month. They were planning on heading to Texas just after the new year. But late at night on December 27, disaster struck.

A gas leak sparked and sent their bus into flames, with half the family still trapped inside. The mother, Whitney Copeland, and two of the children suffered only minor injuries, while the other two kids and the father, Kyle Copeland, are in the hospital with severe burns. Two explosions followed the fire, destroying everything.

Copeland was badly burned after running into the flaming bus to pull his two trapped children out. Copeland carried his two kids to safety just seconds before the first explosion went off. Miraculously, the whole family survived.

Shay Dexter, a neighbor and friend of the family, arrived at the scene minutes after the explosion. The Copelands’ bus was parked on the street in front of Dexter’s home.

“We saw life flight, we saw tons of first responder vehicles, paramedics, fire trucks, sheriffs, there was smoke everywhere, there was ash everywhere,” said Dexter. “It was devastating. Mom was running back and forth from one child to another.”

Dexter says the neighbors showed up to help. “The whole community was here helping. Every single person on the street was out helping.”

And the neighbors are still helping. Since the explosion, friends of the Copeland family have set up a Go Fund Me to raise money for the family. Even though the family members in the hospital are stable and recovering, they face costly medical bills.

The Copelands also had their entire life packed into the bus. All their possessions, clothing, devices, and books. The family literally lost everything in the explosion, except for a few plastic totes of swimming gear and food storage.

To help with hospital costs and the money required to start their life over, more than 2,000 family, friends, and neighbors have already raised more than 167,000 dollars through the Go Fund Me.

Friends are still trying to raise money for the Copelands, who need all the help the community is able to give.

Link to the Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-copeland-family-after-horrific-accident?member=16285557&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

Link to the Copeland Family’s Facebook Page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/Copeland.Family.Updates