In Arizona, a chain of vehicles crashed into each other on Loop 202 in Mesa, claiming the lives of two kids, Fox 10 News reported. The misfortune was the result of the mother, 36, attempting to settle the racket in the backseat.
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe has been launched to support the family financially. At the time of writing, close to $150,000 has been raised.
The four were along a packed East Valley freeway in a pickup truck at the time. The third child, a boy, 6, survived but sustained minor injuries. According to Bart Graves, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson, the car was driving at a "significant rate of speed." He told AZFamily,
"She may have been distracted by what was going on in the vehicle at the time of the crash. As I understand it, it was kids playing loudly, roughhousing in the backseat, or some kind of thing that distracted her from the road, from what she told us."
Arizona accident leaves 2 children dead and 1 injured, of which one had cancer
The bio for the GoFundMe, organized by Roxie Heussner from Arizona, reads:
"Tate and Evie, age 9 and 11, were tragically killed on the 202 freeway in Arizona today, October 23, 2024, in a car accident. Their parents and siblings are now not only having to face life without two of their children, but a mound of medical and funeral bills just years after one of their children went through a long course of cancer treatment."
The plea continues:
"I know not everyone is in a position to give, but if you can, please help. And if you can’t give monetarily, please uplift this family in thoughts and prayers as they face this unimaginable tragedy."
The target has been set to $20,000, and with over 1.5K donations, at the time of writing, $146,626 has been raised, surpassing the goal by a whopping 733%.
Bart Graves, an Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson, says the family "didn't stand a chance"
According to AZNews, the older children were declared dead on the spot, while the youngest boy and his mother were rushed to the hospital. In speaking of the incident, Graves told the outlet,
"Suffice to say, the force of the impact was such that it not only sheared off the right side of this pickup truck where they were riding, but they were killed instantly by the force of this impact. They didn’t have a chance, and it’s very sad."
The opposite driver of the tow truck managed to escape without any injuries. Graves continued, asserting that he did not think the mother was inebriated or under the influence of anything at the time.
According to the outlet, she stands free of all criminal charges at the moment and was let go with a slap on the wrist. However, she may face a misdemeanor charge for distracted driving in the future.
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According to the officials, Loop 202 Red Mountain westbound was closed for about six hours, but by 4:15 p.m., it was business as usual. The lanes eastbound were fully operational.
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