Matt Hughes’ family working with traumatic injury foundation after crash

The family of Matt Hughes is working with a non-profit foundation regarding the next steps of his recovery.

Hughes was driving a truck last Friday when it was hit by a train on tracks in Raymond, Ill. The UFC legend was seriously injured in the crash and airlifted to HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill., where he has been since.

The hospital said in a statement Sunday that Hughes, 43, was in “stable condition,” but remained “minimally responsive.” The family added in a statement that day that Hughes had no broken bones or internal bleeding.

In a statement posted Tuesday on the Facebook page of Hughes’ sister Beth Hughes Ulrici, Hughes’ family said it will be working with the Triumph Over Tragedy Foundation on how to approach his care moving forward.

The non-profit organization, based in Georgia, “serves families affected by spinal cord and brain injuries,” the statement read. Hughes has been on the board of the foundation for five years. Hughes’ future recovery could include being seen by top traumatic brain injury doctors.

“We are working closely with the foundation on the next steps with Matt’s care including having him evaluated by one of the country’s top Traumatic Brain Injury Centers,” the statement read. “We are taking Matt’s situation day by day and ask his fans and colleagues to continue to lift them up in prayer.”

The Triumph Over Tragedy Foundation’s website says that its mission is to “support the family unit through biblical principles from the initial impact of a tragedy to the ongoing circumstances faced in the years to come.”

The investigation into the crash is still ongoing, per an Illinois State Police spokesperson. The police sent out a statement Friday saying Hughes approached a “railroad crossing marked with crossbucks” in a pickup truck. The truck crossed the tracks “directly in front of a train and the train struck the passenger side of the truck,” the statement read.

Hughes is a UFC Hall of Famer and one of the promotions greatest champions. He held the UFC welterweight title multiple times between 2001 and 2004 and owns victories over the likes of Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn.