Laura Jane Hall, 17 of
Laura Jane was born in
She is survived by her
parents, Robert Hall of Carlisle, and Lisa Lambert Choate and her
companion, Bucky Roberts, of Princeton; three
brothers, USMC Cpl. Jonathan Hall (Danyel) of
Carlisle, Brady Choate of Mt. Carmel, Ill., Walker Choate of Washington;
niece Skylar Hall of Carlisle, grandparents Bonnie
Lambert Powers (Eugene) of Owensville and Dee and Wayne Hall of Carlisle; uncle
David Lambert of Mt. Vernon; aunts Sharon Henson and Lori Harms (Greg
Wilkinson) of Mt. Carmel, Ill., Kathy (Don) Cowling of Princeton, and Teresa
Hall of Carlisle; several cousins, including Samantha who Laura was
especially close to, and close family friend Donald (Duck) Campbell of Mt.
Carmel.
Laura Jane enjoyed spending
time with her family and friends. She especially enjoyed babysitting Noah and
Anna, who also lost their lives in the crash. Laura Jane was a joy to be
around and had a smile that would light up a room.
She is now in the care of her
Papaw Thomas Lambert, who preceded her in death along with her uncles, Gary
Henson and Mike Harms.
Visitation for Laura Jane
will be Tuesday, April 3 at Holmes Memorial Chapel in Sullivan, from
Burial will take place at
OAKTOWN, Ind. — Two toddlers, their pregnant mother and two other
people died when the car they were riding in became wedged under a semitrailer and burst into flames on a southwestern Indiana
highway, authorities said Thursday.
The crash Wednesday night killed Emma Lockard,
21, of
Lockard was 3 months pregnant, the sheriff said.
“In 35 years of working in law enforcement and being here at the
sheriff’s department, this is the worst crash as far as magnitude and trauma
that I’ve ever seen,” Morris said at a news conference Thursday.
Autopsies revealed that all five victims died from smoke
inhalation, Knox County Coroner Donnie Halter told the Vincennes
Sun-Commercial.
Morris said the accident occurred about 8:45 p.m. on U.S. 41 near
its intersection with old U.S. 41 just outside of Oaktown, about 40 miles south
of Terre Haute.
Lockard apparently crossed from the northbound
lanes of U.S. 41 into the southbound lanes and drove under the semi’s trailer,
triggering an explosion and fire that engulfed her car and the trailer, Morris
said.
The driver of the semi, Jeffery T. Richardson of Waverly, Tenn.,
was not injured but was taken to Sullivan County Community Hospital and
submitted to blood tests that confirmed he wasn’t under the influence of any
drugs or alcohol, the Sun-Commercial reported.
Investigators don’t know why Lockard
drove into the side of the trailer, Morris said. Officers found no skid marks
to indicate she tried to stop. The intersection is flanked by hills and curves
but is clear of any obstructions.
“We just don’t know,” Morris said.
Police and fire crews remained on the scene for more than six
hours before before U.S. 41, a major four-lane
highway, was reopened to traffic. Morris said the semitrailer
had to be cut in half and lifted off the car so crews could work to extricate
the victims.
The fire burned so hot, he added, that the kind of vehicle Lockard was driving couldn’t immediately be determined.
Using an identification number, it was later determined that it was a 1993
mid-size Cadillac sedan.
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