Three siblings killed in car crash that left mum fighting for life

Three siblings have been killed in a two-vehicle car crash on a rural highway in the US state of Louisiana.

John Lundy was driving his pickup truck the wrong way on Interstate 49 in northern St. Landry Parish on Friday night (local time) when he hit an SUV with five people inside, state troopers say.

Lundy was killed immediately, along with Lindy Rae Simmons, 20, in the SUV. The young woman’s siblings, Kamryn Simmons, 14, and Christopher Simmons, 16, died at the hospital.

The siblings’ older sister, Katie DeRouen, revealed on GoFundMe that her mum Dawn and Christopher’s girlfriend Marissa, 16, were also in the car and are still in hospital with serious injuries.

She said her family members were travelling home from Christopher’s basketball game.

The devastated woman explained that she is one of nine children and detailed the heartbreaking moment she learned of her youngest siblings’ deaths.

“I have never, in my life, experienced more pain than in that moment,” she said, adding that she had to identify two of their bodies.

“Losing one would have been tragic.

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“There are no words to describe losing all three babies of the family. We all have their gifts wrapped under the tree.”

She said the family is “crushed”, “empty” and still in disbelief.

“We are hurting. We don’t know how we will ever find joy in anything again,” she said.

Ms DeRouen said Dawn has a fractured sternum and will no longer have a functioning spleen.

She also has a lacerated carotid artery that appears to have healed without surgery.

With her dad recently retired, Ms DeRouen said she started the fundraiser to help the family pay for medical and funeral costs.

So far it has raised almost USD$425,000.

Toxicology results are pending and the crash remains under investigation.

With AP

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