Last Saturday night, his father, Richard, picked him up from his manager shift at a local Domino's Pizza.
As they were driving home, a car reportedly crossed into their lane. It slammed head-on into their car, pinning both of them under the crushed dashboard, authorities said.
"They couldn't get out of the car. They were screaming for cars to stop," Buice's sister, Larissa Bassett, said.
"Him and his dad were sitting and talking to each other – about whether they were going to be OK, before his dad passed," Buice's brother-in-law, Barry German, told WSB-TV.
Teen badly injured in suspected DUI crash that killed his father. Family pleads for help dealing with mounting medical bills. Live report at 4:30. pic.twitter.com/57HisLaksh
— Tom Regan (@tomreganWSB) September 21, 2018
Emergency rescue workers had to tear open the car to get the father and son out. Buice was rushed to the hospital, but his father died at the scene.
Family members have kept watch over their loved one at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center.
"He's in a lot of pain, trying to recover and handle what happened," Bassett said.
"He's got badly mangled legs, has rods and pins," German said.
The driver of the other car, Alexis Wynn, is also hospitalized. He's suspected of driving while drunk on the night of the crash, police said. An empty beer bottle was found in his car, authorities said.
"I would ask everyone to not drink and drive. We lost our dad. My brother is going to have lifelong complications with walking," Bassett said.
Just three months ago, the mother of Bassett and Buice died from a respiratory illness. Now, the family has a mountain of medical bills and is facing costly long-term rehab for Buice.
"He doesn't have health insurance, unfortunately. So the rehab, physical therapy, everything has to be paid out of pocket," Bassett said. "He's hanging in there, but he remembers everything."
Wynn will be formally charged when he's released from the hospital, authorities said.
If you'd like to help the teen injured in the crash, click here.
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