A tragic accident on Wednesday left seven people, including four young children, dead in Truxton, New York. The victims were identified as 26-year-old Teresa Bush and her two children, 5-year-old Jasmine and 4-year-old Alexis, 7-year-old Alyssa Mead and her brother 4-year-old Tyler, 21-year-old Lena Beckwith and 24-year-old Carino Vanorden. The eighth passenger in the minivan the victims were riding in is Shawn Mead, the father of Alyssa and Tyler. He is currently undergoing care at Upstate Medical Center. The severity of his injuries has not been reported.
The victims were driving on Route 13, close to Syracuse, when a tractor-trailer rig carrying crushed cars nearby lost its trailer. The trailer then went flying into the minivan, killing the occupants and injuring Shawn Mead. The driver of the truck, 26-year-old Ryan Dorward, was not injured, and his passenger, 44-year-old Duane Newton was also uninjured.
Investigations into the incident are continuing. It is not quite clear why the trailer became unattached or if weather was a factor.
Our thoughts are with Shawn Mead in his recovery as well as the friends and family of each of the victims.