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The big challenge now for Tim Paget is keeping Annette, his wife of five years, alive.

She is in critical condition at the University of Utah Medical Center after a deadly auto accident claimed their 3-year-old daughter. Now Annette, 30, doesn't want to live, Tim said Tuesday afternoon.

"She doesn't want to go on without her kids."

The Summit County couple's son, Sean, died in December. He was 17 days old. Sunday evening, Alexis Paget was killed in high-speed traffic accident in Parleys Canyon.

At about 5:20 p.m., a westbound Ford Escape SUV, driven by a 47-year-old Woods Cross woman, crossed the median on Interstate 80 and plowed into the eastbound F-250 Ford pickup driven by Annette.

She suffered broken bones and severe internal injuries, and her right arm was severed.

The accident's cause is under investigation, Trooper Preston Raban, Utah Highway Patrol, said Tuesday.

Annette, a registered nurse, was scheduled to begin work next week as a labor and delivery nurse at St. Mark's Hospital. Without two hands, she will not be able to continue in that role, Tim said.

"She has a long recovery ahead of her," he said. "She's lost a career and two children. She's lost a lot."

Annette's condition has improved since Sunday, and internal bleeding from liver and head injuries has subsided, her husband said. She remains on a ventilator, but is expected to survive.

"Physically, she's doing better. It looks like she's going to make it," he said. "But emotionally, it's going to take time."

The 35-year-old outdoor guide said he is doing his best to cope with the tragedy.

"I can't fix Alexis. I have to concentrate on my wife. If they were both gone - I don't know," he said.

"Right now, there are a lot of people around and details to deal with. But it's going to be rough. We have some rough days ahead of us."

Tim is the general manager at Rocky Mountain Recreation, where he operates the Park City Riding Stables. He also guides horseback and snowmobile trips from the company's U-Bar Ranch and Stillman Ranch, both located near the Uinta Mountains.

The small company does not offer medical insurance to its employees.

Annette was anxious to get back to work as a nurse - she had left nursing during her pregnancy - so the family could be insured, Tim said.

Pastor Lenny Perata from Park City's Mount Vineyard Christian Fellowship said the church has opened the "Paget Family Donation Fund" at Wells Fargo Bank to help with expenses. The Pagets still are paying for their son's funeral services, he said.

"This has been a double tragedy for them," Perata said.

The driver of the SUV was insured, according to the UHP.

How to help
* The Mount Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Park City opened the "Paget Family Donation Fund" at Wells Fargo Bank. The Pagets do not have medical insurance.

* Contributions can be made at any Wells Fargo location.