Louisiana family who lost three siblings in wrong-way crash with motorists three times over the limit releases heartbreaking new video
A heartbreaking video has sparked an outpouring of support for a woman who lost three of her children after a drunk driver three times over the limit killed them in a crash.
Lindy Ray, 20, Christopher, 17, and Kamryn Simmons, 15, were all killed when John Lundy, 54, struck their family’s SUV head-on while driving the wrong way on the highway in St. Landry Parish. Louisianadays before Christmas 2021.
In the video posted on Instagramthe trio’s sister, Katie DeRouen, 31, who was one of nine children, shows the stark contrast of life before the fatal accident and the darkness that followed.
“When your life turns out to be so different than you ever imagined,” Katie captioned the short film. ‘Look how a drunk driver changed our lives in one fell swoop.’
Siblings Lindy, 20, Christopher, 17, and Kamryn Simmons, 15, were killed by a drunk driver in December 2021
In a video on Instagram, life before and after the horrific crash is shown in stark contrast
The clip opens with snippets of the carefree nature of everyday life: her mother playing games with her son in the driveway; family poses for selfies and talks to the camera; and running errands, such as going to the supermarket to get food.
In other parts of the clip, you see the teens playing for the camera and making funny comments and silly gestures.
Suddenly, images of the accident are shown with emergency vehicles scattered along the I-49 highway in Louisiana.
The video then continues with the triple funeral with the three children’s caskets lying next to each other, followed by gruesome footage of the crash that essentially ripped their vehicle to shreds.
In the first part of the video we see how the family members are having fun with happy days
Their mother Dawn, who survived the crash, is seen kneeling at memorials erected along the highway, sobbing in the front seat of a car at the cemetery.
The video continues to see her cleaning the triple grave, hugging the headstones as grief takes over.
It’s clear that no matter how much time passes after the accident, the pain is still raw, but the family is determined to hold on to the memories.
In the moving video, we see other siblings helping to maintain the grave, polishing the stones and keeping the area clean.
The video ends with both parents standing at the foot of their children’s grave, in a tear-jerking shot.
The crash occurred in the southbound lanes of I-49. The drunk driver was also killed in the collision
Shocking images from the minibus the family were traveling in reveal the severity of the head-on collision
The parents, Ray and Dawn Simmons, are seen tending the graves of their three children
Katie, who has posted several videos on social media showing her family’s grieving process, hopes the videos will help raise awareness of how drink driving can destroy people’s lives in an instant.
Some of the featured images were found on the phone of her late sister Lindy, who was an aspiring photography student.
In recent weeks, Dawn returned to Kamryn’s high school and was seen posing with a bouquet of flowers in her memory.
“I wonder where we would have gone for your senior trip?” Katie thinks.
A week earlier, the family celebrated what would have been Kamryn’s graduation from Arcadiana Christian School in New Iberia, Louisiana.
A photo on Instagram shows Kamryn’s grave decorated with vases full of flowers, a mortarboard as worn by graduates, along with an honorary diploma awarded posthumously by the school.
Family members work hard to maintain the grave, often sweeping and cleaning around it
The parents share a tender moment as they are left alone with their thoughts at the grave
Her older sister Lindy was driving the family car when they were hit head-on by pickup driver Lundy. They both died in a collision.
Dawn had a bleeding spleen, a punctured lung and two broken ankles. She also had a ruptured carotid artery.
DUI driver John Lundy’s alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit to drive.
In Louisiana, drivers are considered legally drunk if their blood alcohol level is high. 08 or more, but Lundy’s blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was 0.22.
He had been driving his 2005 Chevrolet Colorado pickup northbound in the southbound lanes of I-49. He was also killed on impact.
The family celebrated what would have been Kamryn’s graduation from Arcadiana Christian School in New Iberia, Louisiana, with a posthumous honorary doctorate degree awarded.
Sister, Katie Joy DeRouen, continues to share updates on how the family is coping with their grief following the 2021 deaths
Since the tragic accident, Dawn has been going to secondary schools to talk to children about the dangers of drink driving.
The family’s nonprofit organization, Simmons 3, aims to raise awareness about this issue.
a GoFundMe founded since the accident has managed to raise $800,000 for the family.
