Michigan Representative-elect Khristian Silvis on Thursday confirmed that she was a passenger in a vehicle that injured a family of four in a car crash.
Silvis on Tuesday won her election to the state’s 84th House district, which includes parts of Grand Rapids, on the Democratic ticket. She defeated Republican challenger Drew Robbins who formerly served on the Grand Rapids City Commission.
Silvis took to her campaign Facebook page Thursday to share a statement confirming her involvement in the crash, which had been speculated about by online commenters for several days.
“On October 28, 2026, I was a passenger in a car accident that resulted in significant injuries to members of another family,” she wrote. “What the family is enduring is devastating and their wellbeing and healing has been foremost in my mind.”
Silvis continued by saying she could not obtain the family’s contact information “due to privacy restrictions” and therefore did not directly reach out to them. She also declined to share specific details about the crash publicly.
“While parts of my life have continued publicly, there has hardly been a moment that I have not thought about the accident and what the family is facing ahead, and praying for their full and speedy recovery,” Silvis wrote.
Emergency Response
The Hastings Fire Department publicly confirmed that it responded to a major rollover crash on October 28, the same date referred to in Silvis’s statement. While the department did not identify the individuals involved, it described the victims in that crash as a family of four who were trapped in the vehicle.
Responders had requested the assistance of “air medical assistance for the critically injured,” the department wrote, possibly referring to an emergency airlift helicopter.
“Due to the teamwork and professionalism by everyone the hazards were quickly mitigated on the complex scene, and all occupants were safely turned over to EMS staff,” the department wrote.
‘Right To Know’
Silvis’s statement comes over a week since the crash took place and follows repeated public outcry for accountability over her involvement in the crash.
In the days leading up to the November 3 election, Wyoming resident Danely Brito shared a GiveSendGo page via Facebook that claimed her family of four was involved in a “serious rollover accident.” That page requested $80,000 in donations to assist with medical expenses incurred by the accident.
“Danely, a mother, suffered fractures to her pelvis, shoulder, and tailbone,” the page reads. “Her 7-year-old daughter, Melanie, suffered severe brain and facial injuries and remains in the ICU.”
Since sharing that information, Brito shared other posts linking Silvis and a member of her staff to the crash. One post shared by Brito identifies Silvis’s campaign manager Grayce Hoogerhyde as driving the vehicle responsible for the crash near Hastings, Michigan, on the day of the crash with Silvis as passenger.
Neither Hoogerhyde, Silvis’s campaign, nor the Michigan House Democrats responded to a request for comment from The Herald concerning the claims.
Brito later penned a post of her own including an image of Silvis. Brito claimed she could “barely walk” after the accident.
“She caused my 7 year old daughter a severe brain injury and facial fractures,” Brito captioned the image of Silvis. “My 8 year old daughter a broken collar bone which she constantly tells me how much it hurts.”
“While we all need years of physical therapy she will make decisions that will impact everyone,” Brito added of Silvis. “She has not reached out to apologize. She doesn’t speak of it nor does she show any kind of remorse of what she did. This is who you voted for?”
Joel Ibbotson, the founder of a Hastings-based government accountability Facebook page also addressed the crash allegations, saying he was blocked by Silvis’s campaign page for inquiring about the situation ahead of the election.
“Voters have a right to a clear answer before they cast ballots,” Ibbotson wrote. “Was Khristian Silvis the driver of the other vehicle in this Hastings crash? Was alcohol a factor? The campaign has so far chosen silence and blocking over transparency.”
“Accountability does not pause for campaign season,” he added. “If the allegations are false, a straightforward denial should be easy. If they are not, the public has a right to know.”
Forthcoming Information
The Grand Rapids Herald has since filed a Freedom of Information Act request with Michigan State Police (MSP), which also responded to the crash, to obtain all records and reports created in connection to the crash. MSP acknowledged receipt of that request Monday, but has yet to share when it expects the materials to be ready.
If minors were involved in the crash, state law will likely require much of the records to be redacted out of privacy concerns.
As of Friday morning, Silvis’s campaign Facebook page appears to have turned off all comments on its posts, except the statement on the crash. That account still has yet to post a victory announcement since Silvis won her election.
Brito on Thursday told The Herald she has begun speaking to a lawyer regarding the crash. She also shared that her daughter who was injured in the crash is consulting with a team of surgeons, but may be discharged from the hospital soon.
She declined further comment, citing the forthcoming MSP report.
Write to jackson@grherald.com