‘It’s a miracle’: 11-year-old Post Falls boy recovering at home after life-threatening Easter motorcycle crash

Two days after a life-threatening motorcycle crash left 11-year-old Tatum Newbauer in the intensive care unit with several broken bones, concussed and wrapped in casts, the “sassy stinker pants” was home cracking jokes.

“He likes to joke and have a good time, and he has been just quite the little sassy stinker pants,” Tatum’s mom, Layne Chappell, said in a phone interview from her home in Post Falls. “He does have his moments where he’s emotional and with this concussion, it’s also part of that. It’s a whole roller coaster ride.”

Through the brain trauma, multiple broken bones in his face and skull, broken teeth, a broken arm and broken foot, Tatum’s first thought when his mother first saw him in the emergency room was to reassure her.

“It’s hard to see your child hooked up to everything with a neck brace and all the stuff on. I walked in and I started crying. And he said, ‘Mom, stop crying. I’m gonna be fine!,’ ” Chappell recalled. “Obviously, it made me cry harder.”

Not long after, it was to ask about the state of the motorcycle’s driver, a close family friend who sustained critical injuries in the crash.

“He is the most caring child I’ve ever seen,” Chappell said. “Out of all of this, he’s just worried about his friend’s dad, so that kind of shows you how caring he is.”

On Easter Sunday, Tatum and his family had gathered at his grandparents’ house in Post Falls for the typical holiday festivities. As evening fell, Chappell and her husband left to pick up something from Facebook marketplace while Tatum stayed to play with friends and family.

At around 6 p.m., the father of one of his friends lost control of the motorcycle he was driving with Tatum in tow, crashing into two parked vehicles on north Spokane Street at north Encanto Drive, according to an Idaho State Police Department news release. A social media post by Tatum’s family said they reached speeds over 100 mph on the friend’s bike, a 2024 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited. Neither Tatum nor the driver were wearing helmets, the release said. The department is still investigating the crash.

Chappell doesn’t hold any hard feelings toward the driver.

“We love them, and they have been nothing but amazing to us, so we’re just trying to hang in there,” Chappell said. “We’re all trying to stay optimistic and stick together, because that’s what we need right now. It’s what everybody needs right now.”

Tatum was transported from the Kootenai Health emergency room to Providence Sacred Heart, where he spent two nights with nonstop visits from family and friends.

“It’s been a collaborative effort,” Chappell said, with friends and family reaching out with support. She could use a hand preparing meals, she said.

Tatum is no stranger to motorcycles; both his parents ride them, and it fulfills his thrill-seeking nature.

“He is always up for a motorcycle ride,” Chappell said.

Tatum is a typical Idaho boy, his mom described, spending his free time fishing and hunting with his family and playing baseball, riding his dirt bikes any chance he gets. Last hunting season, Tatum’s first, he shot his first deer.

“He also has a couple of dirt bikes and will do as much as he possibly can to get that adrenaline rush,” Chappell said.

He’s encouraged by the small victories while recovering. He shed tears of joy after being able to gently chew noodles in his soup with his broken, braces-lined teeth. He’s awake for a couple of hours each day, waddling to and from his bed to the couch to socialize with visitors.

“I tell him, ‘You’re doing better than I think anybody has ever expected any little boy to do with all of your broken bones,’ ” Chappell said.

Chappell was also optimistic, astounded by Tatum’s relatively quick recovery and return home. Though he’ll need more evaluation as his bones heal and the swelling subsides, his doctors so far said no major surgery would be needed, save for some oral reconstructing for his teeth.

“It’s a miracle,” she said.

To pay for medical expenses and the income Chappell is missing by staying with her son, forgoing work at the salon she owns in Priest River, Tatum’s family set up a GoFundMe fundraiser with 66 donations as of Wednesday night. It’s been encouraging to see that support, Chappell said.

“We’re just trying to make it through and be as strong as we can for him,” she said, her voice breaking. “He’s doing amazing, so honestly, he makes it a lot easier.”