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Father thanks community for supporting injured family

The basketball coach whose wife and three daughters were hurt in a wrong-way crash on Highway 52 will speak out for the first time Sunday.

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - A local basketball coach whose family was injured in a wrong-way crash on Highway 52 is speaking publicly for the first time.

Will Cunningham's wife Alisa and their three daughters were hurt in the March 17 crash.

The other driver, who was believed to have been driving drunk, was killed.

The last three months have been absolutely surreal for the Cunningham family. On the night of the crash you could see the fear in Coach Cunningham's face as he stood at the scene.

Sunday, with a smile on his face, he thanked the community and God for his family's recovery.

"It's a joy just to be able to celebrate still being a father to three girls," Will said.

Sitting shoulder to shoulder with his family Will Cunningham knows Sunday could have been a day of mourning.

"Not many people survive from an accident like this," he said.

The Cathedral Catholic High School coach still remembers the fear that ran through him March 17. The minivan carrying his wife and three daughters had just been hit head-on by a drunken wrong way driver on the 52.

"It's why does this happen? How could this happen? Especially when you're thinking about driving the wrong way," Will said.

The driver died at the scene. Cunningham's oldest, Taylor, was in a coma for 17 days and just recently walked out of the hospital.

"As a father you're feeling like one thing was almost taken from you so how can you respond from that? I was almost in overprotective mode," Will said.

Jayden Cunningham fractured her neck and she's worn head gear since the accident. Logan is the youngest child and is still recovering from damage to her lungs.

Their mother Alisa is resilient, even with broken bones, a partially severed foot, and almost losing her left hand.

"The way it was crushed and most doctors wouldn't have saved it, and he did and I'm very thankful," Alisa said.

Still bruised and a little battered, the Cunningham family says their strength comes from their unwavering faith.

"By the grace of God we're staying strong," Will said.

There's no team more important to Coach Cunningham than his family and he says his community is rooting them too.

"We've got a long ways to go. We just want to let everyone know how thankful we are and how humbled we are by their support," he said.

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