7 Family Members Killed in Horrendous Crash in Oregon
Seven members of a single family were killed in a horrific crash in Oregon Monday when they were hit head-on by a driver who drifted into their lane, authorities said.
Erika Boquet, 29, and her three children perished in the brutal collision. Her father's girlfriend, Kyla Brown, 28, and her two children were also killed on impact.
The driver of the other vehicle, Mark Robert Rundell, 48, also died.
The Washington state family was on its way to Las Vegas for a vacation before the school year started. In the 2016 Toyota 4Runner driven by Boquet were her three children, Isabella, 11, Elisabeth, 9, and Tytis, 6. Brown's two kids, Arianna 10 and Xavier, 2, were also inside.
Boquet's father, Louis Johnson, was the boyfriend of Brown.
Johnson had flown to Vegas on a business trip and was waiting on the family to arrive so they could take a break before the children headed back to class. They were going to go shopping for school clothes and supplies, then drive to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California.
In an interview with InsideEdition.com, Johnson could not contain his grief at losing his children, grandchildren and partner in one awful collision.
"It hurts so bad," he said Friday. "I don't have no answers. I don't understand it. I'll never not be in pain. I'll just have to learn how to live with it."
His family was already on the road when he boarded a flight to Vegas on Monday. When his plane touched down, police officers were waiting for him at the gate.
"They said there was an accident," Johnson recounted between sobs. "They told me that nobody survived. How can that be? It doesn't work that way. Somebody always survives."
The crash occurred about 10 a.m. Johnson said police are trying to determine why Rundell's SUV slammed into his family's vehicle.
The accident scene in eastern Oregon. Oregon State Police
"He was by himself. He passed away, too. So that's eight people dead," Johnson said. "They said it was the worst accident in Oregon history. I don't want that legacy for my children."
Johnson said he was thankful to Alaska Airlines, which put him up at a hotel and flew a friend of Johnson's to Vegas. The friend drove him home. "They took care of me."
He wishes a good many things. He wishes his family had picked a different time to get on the road. He wishes he had been with them. He wishes he could go back in time.
His family's remains are still in Burns, Oregon. "I need to get them home," he said. A GoFundMe page has been established to help with burial costs.
"I want their lives to mean something," he said. "I want people to understand they got to love each other, no matter what. Because time is short. I want something good to come of this," he said, his voice breaking.
RELATED STORIES
Canadian Hockey Bus Crash: Truck Driver Charged in Collision That Killed 16
What to Do If a Wrong-Way Driver Is Coming Your Way to Avoid a Disastrous Collision
Parents Killed in Icy Car Crash on Way to See Son Who Was Seriously Injured in Head-On Collision
