“Their pain is something no family should ever have to endure,” a local agency said after the tragedy
Credit: Lawrence County EMA- Emergency Management-Alabama/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A mother and her two children, ages 7 and 13, were killed in a car crash in Alabama on April 11
- The tragedy also left the woman’s other two young kids in critical condition
- “Their pain is something no family should ever have to endure,” a local agency said after the tragedy
A mother and her two children were killed in a car crash in Alabama, which also left the woman's other two kids in critical condition.
The tragedy took place at the intersection of Highway 157 and Highway 24 at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, April 11, Moulton Mayor Ryan Jolly said in a video shared on Facebook.
The woman, identified by WAFF 48 as 33-year-old Ashley Hagood, was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Her children — Bryant Ballew, 13, and Bryleight Pledger, 7 — were pronounced dead at the scene, while kids Bentley Pledger, 10, and Bryleight’s twin sister, Brynleight Pledger, 7, were flown to a nearby hospital in critical condition, the outlet said.
The driver of the Ford F-150 that slammed into Hagood's Chevy Suburban was taken to the hospital with a head injury, WAFF 48 reported. He is expected to survive.
Credit: Google Maps
In his social media video, Mayor Jolly said, “We would ask the public’s cooperation and your patience in allowing our law enforcement officers to complete their investigation thoroughly."
"We would ask the community find alternate routes in and around the city during this time. More importantly, I want to ask the community for prayers," he added.
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Credit: Lawrence County Alabama Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
The Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency said in a Facebook post that the "tragic crash … has left our community grieving the unimaginable loss of life, including children."
“There are no words that can adequately express the heartbreak being felt by so many tonight," the group added.
“We ask that you lift the victims and their families up in your thoughts and prayers in the days ahead,” continued the Lawrence County Emergency Management Agency. “Their pain is something no family should ever have to endure.”
“We also ask you to remember the men and women who responded to this call. Our law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, coroner and deputy coroners, emergency management officials, and every other first responder who raced to the scene today were faced with a scene that no one is ever truly prepared for,” the organization concluded. “They carried out their duties with strength, professionalism, and compassion — but the weight of moments like this does not leave when the scene is cleared.”
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