Spaghetti dinner held for local man critically injured in South Dakota accident

MT. CLEMENS, Mich. (WXYZ) - As a St. Clair Shores man fights for his life in a Minnesota hospital, friends gathered to help bring his family closer to him.

Thomas “Thorny” Thorngate was the sole survivor in an SUV that was struck by a semi-truck earlier this month.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol says the Michigan men were traveling on Highway 20 near Mellette on Nov. 7 when the vehicle driven by 71-year-old Wesley Allen Frasard failed to stop and was struck by a southbound semi-trick.  

Frasard, 68-year-old Ledger John Frasard Jr., 77-year-old William Edward Petrocy, all of St. Clair Shores, and 69-year-old Nikolaos Andreopoulos, of New Baltimore, were killed in the crash.

The truck driver escaped with minor injuries, but Thorngate,52, has since been recovering from critical injuries at a Minnesota hospital.

On Sunday, his friends and family gathered for a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at Pub 1281 in Mt. Clemens. It was the first time Thorngate’s four sons have left his bedside.

The brothers spent Thanksgiving watching their father try to sit up with assistance. Thorngate is recovering from head trauma and multiple broken bones.

Supporters are asked for $10 donation at the door. Money raised will help cover some medical expenses and also provide transportation for Thorngate’s sons to visit him in Minnesota.