What happened to Elise Caffee? Utah travel influencer and mom blogger passes away following asphalt tragedy

Elise Caffee, a Utah-based parenting travel influencer and a mom of three, tragically passed away a week after an asphalt mishap. An Instagram account dedicated to updates on Elise's health announced the news of her passing on March 12.

The 45-year-old blogger and her husband Dan were in Cancún, Mexico to attend a wedding on March 6 when they met a pile-up on a freeway with more than 10 other vehicles.

A truck carrying hot asphalt struck Elise and Dan's car, turning it upside down. As a result, the "steaming hot asphalt" fell on Elise, who was still trapped inside the car, leading to severe burns across her body. The substance was hot to the extent that the medical crew got burnt despite wearing protective gloves when they arrived to rescue everyone.

After a week-long fight, Elise Caffee of @3kidstravel passed away from her injuries. Her death announcement post read:

"She held on so long and fought so hard against an impossibly difficult set of circumstances. Absolutely everything that could have been done for her was done and we are so grateful she was able to make it back home to say good bye to her family before leaving us."

Details about Elise's funeral services were said to be shared soon.

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Elise Caffee's health updates from the hospital prior to her passing

Elise’s sister Kristina Buskirk created the @elisecaffeeupdates account on Instagram after the asphalt accident last week. She said the mother of three was sedated and intubated but in a stable condition. The Utah mom of three was admitted to the ICU in a Playa del Carmen hospital. Kristina wrote:

"They are working to clean the asphalt from her burn wounds and help her get stable so that she can be transferred with a ICU medic plane to the University of Utah burn unit."

The driver of Elise and Dan's car was killed on the spot. Dan reportedly did not sustain any injuries.

Elise's husband Dan updated last week on social media that the hospital crew was trying to remove any remains of the asphalt from her wounds. They were preparing to fly her on an air ambulance to transfer her to the University of Utah's Burn Center.

While Elise was being flown to her home in Salt Lake City, Utah, her sister shared she was "still very medically fragile". After the family blogger was admitted to the burn unit, Kristine updated:

"They are doing a check up, assessing for injuries and determining the source of some fluid in her core and CT scans."

Elise Caffee underwent surgery to get her burn wounds cleaned, dead skin removed, and other nursing. She remained in "critical condition" afterward and her sister updated that she was to undergo another surgery.

In one of the updates, Kristine shared the doctors postponed Elise's surgery to allow time for more medical observation and allow her some self-recovery. Elise's condition was said to have improved after the first surgery.

In an update three days before Elise Caffee's passing, as she was about to get into her second surgery, Kristine wrote:

"Doctors hope that treating her burns will help to show improvement in her kidney function, lung function, blood pressure, and lactic acid build up, all of which continue to be serious concerns."

She added:

"Elise is currently on dialysis, intubated and relying on a ventilator to breathe, and is unconscious despite no longer being sedated with medication."

Kristina informed the second surgery was done to eliminate the damaged tissues from Elise's body, adding, "Damaged tissue can cause problems throughout the body". Elise Caffee remained in critical condition afterward as her sister said she was fighting for her life.

Two days before Elise Caffee's death, the medical staff tended to her wounds as she was recovering from her surgery. Her husband Dan and their daughters were with her in the hospital and got to spend some time together. Kristine wrote:

"The Caffee girls went in while Elise got her hair washed. Then the girls were able to take turns brushing it and braiding it...Dan ended the night serenading Elise with his guitar"

The mom of three continued to receive prayers and support from her followers and other people online. Following her death, Kristine extended her gratitude to everyone who sent in their words of encouragement.