It’s been nearly four weeks since Iowa WBB commit Ava Jones and her family were hit by an impaired driver that drove onto the sidewalk in downtown Louisville. The family was in town for the Run 4 Roses AAU tournament. It left Ava and her mother Amy in critical condition at the UofL Hospital, while her father Trey tragically passed away a few days after the accident. Both Ava and her mother spent a week on ventilators in a medically induced coma, but for the last couple of weeks, the news has slowly, but surely gotten better.

The latest update is another step in the right direction, as Ava and Amy are set to move back to Kansas. It was first reported by Grace Hayba of WDRB News in Louisville, and I was able to confirm that report with Ava’s brother Hunter.

“The goal is the 17th (of August),” said Hunter via text message. “Going to get them into an outpatient rehab facility in Wichita.”

This will allow family members to move back home after an extended stay in Louisville, as well as allow other friends and family in Kansas to visit Ava and her mother. Wichita is just an hour drive from Nickerson, where the Jones family lives, while Louisville is over 700 miles away.

“They are progressing well and have been working hard every day in their rehab. The injuries are healing, but it will be longer for my mothers because of all the orthopedic injuries she has.”

Back on July 21st, Hunter posted a video on Facebook of Ava shooting hoops on a mini basketball hoop on one of her first days of rehab with the caption “Ava already back to what she does best”.

“They are in good spirits when I talk to them and at this point are ready to be in the comfort of their house. It’s not the same at home knowing that someone will not be coming back, but it’s still better than being stuck in a hospital.”

The GoFundMe set up for the family has surpassed $143,00, while the money will be used to help pay medical expenses and help the family as they go through the long recovery process. You can donate to the GoFundMe here - https://www.gofundme.com/f/sv8vex-jones-family-fund

“My mom is very amazed with the amount of people that have been supporting us through everything,” said Hunter. “Ava is still not fully comprehending everything, so it is tough to tell what she thinks of it.”

The driver of the vehicle, Michael Hurley, currently faces charges of murder, first-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, operating a motor vehicle under the influence and license to be in possession. He will be back in court in front of a grand jury during the week of August 8th.