Jun 22, 2008 9:26 pm US/Central
Family Of 5 Dead After Plano Car Accident
PLANO (CBS 11 News) ―
A Plano family is dead after being hit by an oncoming car while leaving church Sunday morning.
The accident happened around 11:00 a.m. at the intersection of Legacy and Custer in Plano.
Police say the driver of a black Pontiac G6 was driving westbound on Legacy drive toward Custer just before 11 a.m. Police say he was driving at a high rate of speed. The driver apparently lost control, ran a red light, struck a curb and fire hydrant and slammed into a green Ford Windstar mini-van in the northbound lane.
The impact of the crash forced the Pontiac to slam into a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and a 2003 Honda Accord, both of which were in the southbound left lane of Custer Road.
"After [the truck] went airborne and flipped, it came to rest on the west side of the road on Custer and Legacy," said Plano Police Officer Andrae Smith.
The mini-van was carrying a family of five. A couple, their 12-year-old daughter died at the scene of the crash. The family's two foster children died later at an area hospital. The foster sisters, ages 4 and 6, had been with the family since February.
"When we have a loss of life of one or two, it's horrific. It affects us all," said Smith. "With just a multitude of human life lost at the scene, it's just devastating - completely devastating."
The driver of the Pontiac was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police say the female driver of the pickup truck had minor injuries. The people in the Honda were not injured.
The family members were part of the Custer Road United Methodist Church congregation. A prayer service was held at the church Sunday night.
"It will begin the process of healing," said Sr. Pastor Ronald Henderson of Custer Road United Methodist Church. "It will begin the process of owning the vulnerability of our humanity. And yet at the same time, reaffirming our faith in a loving God."
Friends say the family was active in missions, Sunday school and foster care. The husband and wife had been fostering children for a couple of years. The wife worked at the church.
Police are still investigating the cause of the crash.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
