Spencer Wright's young son Levi dies after accident with toy tractor

Rodeo star Spencer Wright’s young son has died after being hospitalized in critical condition last month after driving his toy tractor into a river in southwestern Utah, a family friend told USA TODAY on Tuesday.

Levi Wright died Sunday after being taken off life support, confirmed Mindy Sue Clark, the boy’s mother’s best friend. He had been in critical condition in a Salt Lake City hospital since the May 21 accident in Beaver, Utah, near the family’s home, Clark said. He was 3 years old.

“He was the best,” Clark said. “We were all very lucky to have him for three years.”

“We will miss him every second of the day,” the boy’s mother, Kallie Wright, wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.

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According to the sheriff, a child drove a toy tractor into the water

On the day of the accident, the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office reported that officers responded to a report that a child had driven his toy tractor into the water and witnesses at the scene had lost visual contact with the boy.

The boy was “quickly located,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a news release, and life-saving measures were administered at the scene. He was then taken to a hospital, the news release said, and flown by rescue helicopter to a children’s hospital in Salt Lake City.

“I can’t even begin to describe how hard the last two weeks have been. From the moment my phone rang the night of his accident to last night when I got the news that he had to go,” Clark wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

“We will miss him every second of every day”

A day earlier, Levi’s mother had announced in a social media update that life support for her son would be discontinued.

“After several sleepless nights, a lot of research, numerous conversations with the best neurologists in the world and millions of prayers, here we are, facing our greatest fear,” she wrote on Facebook. “Levi showed us just enough to buy us time to do all of this. We prayed that this would defy all odds and prove to us that he wanted to stay here, but now we see that he wanted to give us time to come to terms with letting him go.”

“I told you my baby was thoughtful and attentive, and I truly believe he did that for us,” his mother wrote. “During that time, he expressed humanity across the country, he brought so many to their knees and reminded them what really matters in this world.”

In addition to his parents, Levi leaves behind his five-year-old sister Steeley and his ten-month-old brother Brae.

Who is Spencer Wright?

The boy’s 33-year-old father is ranked 40th in the world in saddle bronc riding, according to prorodeo.com.

The athlete graduated from Milford High School in Utah in 2010 and attended Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma, and the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.

According to the website, highlights of his career include winning the 2024 Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo in Mercedes, Texas, and being co-champion at the Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo in Heber City, Utah. He also won the Othello, Washington PRCA Rodeo and was co-champion at the Southeastern Livestock Exposition in Montgomery, Alabama.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X at @nataliealund.

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