“I’ve been married 33 years myself, and to think about, even to think about going through what he’s going through,” said John Nelson.
FORT WORTH, Texas — John Nelson says he will never forget the first time he stood at the site of the crash that killed his best friend’s wife, Brytni Elliott.
“If you needed something, she was the one to call. She was like, ‘Oh, I will pick up the kids,’” Nelson recalled.
Saturday night, less than five minutes from home on Boat Club Road, police say a wrong-way driver slammed into the Elliott family’s vehicle. Inside the car was 41-year-old Spencer Elliott, who remains hospitalized with injuries, and his 12-year-old daughter, Allie, who suffered a broken arm. Brytni did not survive.
“I’ve been married 33 years myself, and to think about, even to think about going through what he’s going through — I can’t say that I can even imagine,” Nelson said.
The Elliott’s 17-year-old daughter, Cooper, was driving separately with her 9-year-old brother Eli that night after inviting him to ride with her following a baseball game. That decision spared both children from the crash.
For years, their mother, Brytni, worked as the Director of Nursing at the Tarrant County Correctional Facility.
With Brytni gone and Spencer still in the hospital, Nelson and other family friends quickly launched a fundraiser to support the family.
“Financially, you know, they’re going to be in a bind,” he said. “All the doctor bills, when they get home, they’re going to need a lot of therapy, surgeries.”
There is also a second fundraiser where people can purchase a Gildan Soft-style Jersey T-shirt with Brytni on the front and Spencer’s North Texas Knights baseball logo on the back, and the words ‘Safe At Home In God’s Arms’.
The crash happened just after the family gathered to celebrate Cooper’s 17th birthday with dinner before heading to Spencer’s baseball game. Spencer is a well-loved coach at Keller High School, where he also teaches anatomy and physiology. In addition to coaching baseball, he is a United States Navy Corpsman and currently a reservist in the United States Navy.
Now, in addition to the fundraiser, Nelson is organizing a community vigil in their honor. The Elliott Family Prayer Vigil is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Boswell Baseball Field.
Through her grief, Cooper has already vowed to advocate for change on Boat Club Road — the stretch of highway that took her mother’s life.
“Even lighting, just something that could impact the driving on this road,” Nelson explained.
Standing at the crash site, Nelson admits the reality is almost too much to bear. “It’s hard to be here,” he said quietly, gazing at the roadside memorial.
The community now rallies around a husband, father, and coach — and a family forever changed.