Community supporting Maplecrest family following tragedy

MAPLECREST―The mountaintop community is coming out to support a beloved family who lost their son in a tragic UTV accident.

Levi Dempsey, 12, was killed and his ten-year-old brother Cade Dempsey was seriously injured when the utility terrain vehicle they were riding in rolled over on Friday evening. It happened around 7:49 p.m. in the area of 84 County Route 56 in Maplecrest.

The brothers are the youngest of six children of Mitchell Hollow Mission Church Pastor Ryan Dempsey and his wife Alisa.

As of Sunday night, an Everloved.com page had already raised more than $36,000 to help the Dempseys.

“This family is much more than a pastor’s family; they are an integral part of our community. They have faithfully loved, prayed for and walked alongside others through life’s hardest moments and now it is our turn to come alongside them,” according to Mitchell Hollow Mission, that established the fundraiser.

“As they navigate overwhelming grief and spend countless days at Cade’s side in the trauma center, we hope to ease some of the financial burdens they face. These funds will help assist in funeral and medical expenses, traveling to and from the hospital, housing, meals, and many unexpected costs that will arise in the weeks and months ahead,” the page states.

According to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, preliminary investigation revealed that the UTV was being operated on a private gravel driveway that serviced several homes.

The vehicle appeared to have veered off the left side of the driveway and struck a boulder, rolling it onto its passenger side and ejecting all four occupants, the sheriff’s office reported.

Levi and Cade Dempsey, who were seated on the passenger side of the UTV, were flown to Albany Medical Center where Levi was pronounced dead and Cade remains in critical condition.

Two other occupants, a 14-year-old driver and an 11-year-old passenger, sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene by EMS.

The crash remains under investigation, the sheriff's office reported.

A link to the Everloved.com page can be found at https://everloved.com/life-of/levi-dempsey.

“We appreciate anything you can donate to support this beautiful family at this difficult time,” the Mitchell Hollow Mission stated. “More importantly please continue to lift them all up in prayer.”