Minister Jason Nixon says son is awake and out of ICU two weeks after serious car crash

File photo of Jason Nixon.

The son of an Alberta minister has regained consciousness nearly two weeks after being critically hurt in a car crash.

Jason Nixon, minister of seniors, community and social services, posted a statement on social media Sunday saying his youngest son, Austin, had been removed from a ventilator and transferred out of intensive care.

"The last two weeks have been the longest and hardest of our lives but have been marked by milestones of his progress we never expected to celebrate," Nixon said in the statement.

Austin and his twin sister Chyanne were both hurt in a single-car rollover on the morning of Dec. 4.

Chyanne was not seriously hurt, but Austin was. He was taken to a Calgary hospital in critical condition.

Sunday, Nixon said his son had been moved into a rehabilitation ward to continue his recovery.

"With Austin beginning to heal, we now look towards the road to full recovery ahead," the statement read. "We do not yet understand what the full needs or process of recovery will look like, but while we know it will be long, we are ready for whatever lies ahead."

At the time of the accident, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams stepped in to support Nixon in his ministry role while Nixon spent time with his family.