Emily McNamara, a 41-year-old woman from Cornwall, Vermont, continues a long and challenging recovery after suffering life-threatening injuries in a serious car accident on March 20, 2026. McNamara was driving toward Middlebury when snowy and slippery road conditions caused her vehicle to lose traction, sending it into the opposite lane where it collided with a tractor-trailer.
According to Vermont State Police, McNamara was driving a Toyota 4Runner eastbound on Vermont Route 74 at approximately 3:51 p.m. when she lost control on the snow-covered roadway. Her vehicle crossed into the westbound lane and struck a Kenworth construction truck that was pulling a Brenner trailer.
McNamara sustained critical injuries in the crash and was transported to Vermont Medical Center for emergency treatment. Police said snowy and slippery road conditions were believed to have contributed to the collision. The driver of the other vehicle, identified as 30-year-old Chase T. Atkins of Addison, was not injured.
The injuries McNamara suffered were extensive and have required months of medical treatment and rehabilitation. According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by her friends, she sustained multiple fractures involving her face, neck, clavicle, ribs and pelvis, as well as a traumatic brain injury.
After receiving initial emergency treatment at Porter Hospital, McNamara spent approximately six weeks in the neurological intensive care unit at UVM. During that time, she underwent multiple surgeries and required intensive medical support. The fundraising campaign said she was placed under sedation and required ventilation while doctors worked to stabilize her condition.
On April 29, McNamara was transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, marking the beginning of another important phase in her recovery. There, she participated in daily physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language sessions as medical professionals worked with her on the effects of her injuries and traumatic brain injury.
Her rehabilitation later continued outside the medical facility. On July 6, McNamara was transferred to her family’s home in New Hampshire, where relatives have continued providing care and support as she works through the lengthy recovery process.
McNamara is also well known within the college hockey community, where she is affectionately known as Mac. According to her friends’ fundraising campaign, she has spent nearly two decades coaching women’s ice hockey at Middlebury College and Hamilton College.
Her career in college athletics has allowed her to build strong relationships with players, parents, coaches, former teammates and fellow members of the hockey community. Friends describe her as a dedicated coach, teammate, friend and family member whose impact extends well beyond the ice.
The accident has therefore affected not only McNamara and her family but also the broader hockey communities connected to Middlebury and Hamilton. Players and former teammates have joined others in supporting her during a recovery that is expected to require significant time, patience and continued medical care.
A GoFundMe campaign was established by McNamara’s friends to help her family manage the substantial costs associated with her ongoing recovery. Those expenses include medical supplies, specialized equipment, transportation, outpatient treatment, nursing care, therapy services and other needs that may not be fully covered by insurance.
The campaign had raised more than $268,000 toward an initial $250,000 goal, with more than 1,000 donations recorded. Organizers increased the fundraising target after receiving a strong response from people wanting to support McNamara and her family.
McNamara’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury is expected to be lengthy and unpredictable. Her transition from intensive hospital care to rehabilitation and eventually to her family’s home represents significant progress, but she still faces a difficult road ahead involving continued therapy, medical care and assistance with daily needs.
Her friends, former players, colleagues and supporters continue to rally around her family as she works through the challenges created by the March 20 crash. Their support has provided both financial assistance and encouragement during a period that has dramatically changed McNamara’s life.
Importantly, there is no indication in the available information that Emily McNamara has died. The reports instead describe an ongoing recovery following the serious March 20 accident in Cornwall, Vermont. Her family and supporters remain focused on helping her through the long rehabilitation journey and providing the care and resources she needs as she continues to recover.
