LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Four Louisville residents, including a firefighter, youth volleyball coach and two young girls, were killed in a three-vehicle accident Friday morning just outside of St. Louis.
Carrie McCaw, 44; Lesley Prather, 40; Kacey McCaw, 12 and Rhyan Prather, 12, were killed in an accident around 10:38 a.m. local time Friday on Interstate 64, according to a Missouri State Highway Portal crash report and Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic School.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of two of our beloved parishioners, Carrie Urton McCaw, and her daughter Kacey McCaw, who died in a car accident today, just outside of St. Louis," Rev. Fr. Shayne R. Duvall said in a statement.
"This is a tragic and painful loss to our parish family. Please keep all in your thoughts and prayers."
According to Missouri Highway Patrol Trooper Dallas Thompson, a white pickup truck towing a generator lost control and crashed through the median cable barrier before slamming into a minivan occupied by the four Louisville residents. The minivan then hit an SUV.
"Just looking at the damage of the vehicles you can tell it was an horrendous impact," Thompson said. "And the people in the minivan, you know, they probably didn't even have a chance to avoid the crash at the time."
Thompson said all four occupants of the minivan were killed. The women were pronounced dead at the scene, and the children later died at the hospital.
The 29-year-old driver of the pickup has serious injuries, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol accident report.
Highway Patrol does not believe weather played a role in the crash. The St. Charles County prosecutor is awaiting toxicology reports form the driver who caused the accident.
"Our hearts and prayers will go out to all the families of anyone involved in this crash here today," Thompson said.
Prather was a Louisville firefighter, a union official confirmed to WDRB News. St. Louis firefighters were standing watch at the morgue Friday night.
"Leslie was just one of the best of us. The whole department is reeling," the union official said. "It's so hard, but when somebody is gone everybody speaks so well of them, but when you speak of Leslie with superlatives, you aren't over exaggerating."
Prather played volleyball for Pleasure Ridge Park High School and the University of Louisville and went on to coach at Indiana University Southeast. Both Prather and McCaw coached a 10-year old team at KIVA (Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Association).
Our hearts are heavy with the loss of four beautiful souls in Carrie and Kacey McCaw and Lesley and Rhyan Prather. Our KIVA family will never be the same and we send prayers and love to all of the families touched by this tragedy.
— KIVA (@KIVAVB) February 15, 2020
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