Ron Doornbos is scheduled to arrive in Calgary in a medically-induced coma as he continues to receive treatment for the injuries he suffered after an SUV struck him, and fatally struck his wife and another couple, in Arizona earlier this month.

On March 13, Ron and his wife Patti has gone for a walk while on vacation in Fountain Hills, Arizona, northeast of Phoenix, and were waiting to cross the street. An SUV jumped the curb and crashed into them and another couple from Iowa who happened to be standing nearby.

Patti ‘Lou’ Doornbos, 60, and the Iowa couple, 72-year-old Robert and 71-year-old Karen Bonita, did not survive the crash.

Ron Doornbos, 60, was transported from the scene by ambulance to an area hospital after suffering a number of injuries including a severe head injury and a broken neck.

“Ron’s undergone five major surgeries covering his entire body, head-to-toe, and has come out of them very well,” said Terri Dutka, Ron’s sister-in-law and Patti’s triplet sister. “However, he still remains on a ventilator to breathe and he’s still in a coma.”

“The doctor said that he could wake up today, he could wake up tomorrow. You just never know with this type of situation. They don’t know the degree of brain damage.”

According to Dutka, arrangements have been made for Ron to be admitted to the Foothills Medical Centre after he was medically cleared for air travel. “Now that the bed’s been secured, we’re waiting for the insurance company to get the Medevac and a family member has to go with Ron, so Danielle (Ron’s daughter) is going with Ron, and taking (the cremated remains of) Lou with her.”

“It’s been back and forth from the medical side and the insurance and they have their processes and it’s totally out of our hands,” said Danielle Doornbos. “They have to arrange everything.”

On Wednesday, the family received word that Ron would be flown to Calgary on a Medevac air ambulance flight that evening.

Ron and Lou Doornbos had arranged emergency travel medical coverage and were covered under three different policies ahead of their Arizona trip but their family still faced challenges in making arrangements.

“You don’t realize what is involved in getting a person (home),” said Dutka. “The paperwork is unbelievable and (the process), to get Lou home and to get a death certificate, was just mind boggling.”

Pam Murray, a travel insurance expert with the Alberta Motorist Association (AMA), says emergency travel medical coverage is crucial and it’s important to read the fine print.

“The last thing you want to find out when you have an emergency is that you don’t have enough coverage,” said Murray. “Lots of times people believe they have coverage on their credit cards but the problem with that is what is exactly covered.”

Murray recommends having travel medical insurance every time you leave the province and to leave the insurance company’s name and your policy number with a family member ahead of your trip.

Arrangements are being made for a celebration of Patti 'Lou' Doornbos' life now that her cremated remains are being returned to Calgary.

Danielle Doornbos has faith that her father, whose condition has stabilized but is still considered critical, will pull through. "He's strong so he's a fighter. We'll get through this."

Police in Arizona continue to investigate the fatal crash but have ruled out criminal speed as a factor. Investigators are attempting to determine if  the 27-year-old driver was distracted when the SUV left the road.  "Once all the evidence has been looked at, the case will be sent to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review to determine what charges will be filed," said Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez of the Maricopa Police Department in a statement to CTV Calgary.

With files from CTV's Ina Sidhu