Fundraiser Benefitting Family Of Canadian County Deputy Seriously Hurt During Traffic Stop

A GoFundMe page is collecting donations to benefit the family of a Canadian County deputy seriously injured during a traffic stop.

Deputy Jose Tayahua-Mendoza, 46, had surgery Monday at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, said Maj. Adam Flowers with the Canadian County Sheriff's Office.

Tayahua-Mendoza pulled over a car along I-40 and Garth Brooks Boulevard in Canadian County Friday morning for improper tag display, according to Oklahoma Highway Patrol. As Tayahua-Mendoza was speaking with the driver, a pickup truck sideswiped the deputy's vehicle before hitting the other car, which in turn, hit the deputy, OHP said.

"The vehicle that hit him threw Deputy Mendoza several feet into the air and into a ditch," said Flowers. "He had a broken bone in his hand, ankle, femur. He was tossed up in the air, had a concussion as well where he lost consciousness for a brief moment and was able to compose himself and call for help on the radio."

OHP said the driver of the truck that caused the crash may have been tired. As of Monday, OHP said the investigation remained ongoing.

Flowers said Tayahua-Mendoza was taken to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City, where he had surgery for his ankle and hand on Monday. "A specialist came in (Monday) to operate, give the best chance for a full recovery, so we're excited to hear that," said Flowers. "He's in high spirits. He's thankful for all of the support from the community, the staff at OU Medical, the OU Police, and everybody that's checking in on him. His family has been very appreciative."

While Tayahua-Mendoza's family remained by his bedside, Flowers created a GoFundMe page to support them. "Yes, he's got workman's comp and different benefits like that. But the entire family is going to have to circle around him and get him back on his feet. And that's missed work from his spouse, his family, people that are going to be there at the hospital with him," Flowers said.

Flowers says all the money raised will go directly to Tayahua-Mendoza's family to help them pay their bills and cover other expenses that may arise down the line. "He has a long road of recovery," said Flowers. "He's going to go through physical therapy. He's going to have to acclimate back into the healing process of getting back to work when he's healthy. So it's going to be a long process for him."

Click here to contribute to the GoFundMe page benefiting Tayahua-Mendoza's family.

State Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat tweeted over the weekend that his eldest son was the driver who was pulled over. Treat wrote that his son suffered life-threatening injuries and needed surgery. A spokesperson said there was no update as of Monday. The senator asked for privacy during his son's recovery.