A mother, who survived a horrific car accident which killed her husband and four daughters, has reportedly revealed her heartbreak following the devatstating incident.
Travelling through Delaware to head home from a fourth of July vacation, a driver swerved onto the wrong side of the road and crashed headfirst into Mary Rose Ballocanag family’s minivan.
A Ford F-350 pickup truck drove over the grass dividing the opposing lanes of traffic before crashing into a car, which was sent off the road while the truck continued and smashed into the family’s oncoming minivan.
With her husband driving, Mary Rose Ballocanag was asleep in the passenger seat when tragedy struck. She woke up to find her husband lifeless, his head resting on her chest.
According to ABC news, Mary and her husband were properly restrained in the car, but their daughters were not.
Mary’s entire family were killed in the crash – her 61-year-old husband, Audie Maniquis Trinidad, and the couple’s four daughters, 20-year-old Kaitlyn; 17-year-old Danna; and 14-year-old twins, Melissa and Allison.
In the first conversation with her aunt since the crash, Mary Rose said the heartbreaking words: ‘Auntie, I’m alone’.
The New York Post report Mary Rose is in hospital in Delaware after suffering several broken bones, and relatives have said she’s struggling to process the accident which killed her entire family.
Mary Rose’s brother-in-law spoke about the devastating situation, saying:
She knows they are all gone, but she is under heavy sedation, so it’s not sinking in yet. I am not sure she’ll be able to even stay at this house without her husband and kids.
I don’t know how she or us will get through this. Why take them all? Why?
The driver who crashed into the family has been identified as 44-year-old Alvin S. Hubbard Jr., though it remains unclear why he drove across the lanes. Hubbard was treated for mild injuries.
The family, from New Jersey, had members of the local community gather to pay respects and light candles for them.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Mary Rose with the page reading:
On Friday, July 6, 2018 as the Trinidad family were returning back to New Jersey, five members of their family (father and four daughters) were killed in a tragic car accident in Townsend, Delaware.
The mother (Mary Rose) was the only survivor in their vehicle and currently hospitalized with serious injuries.
It is unknown at this time the amount of support this mother will need and we did not intend to set a limited goal. However, any assistance of any kind is greatly appreciated at this difficult time.
We have been in touch with a designated family member (Audie’s eldest brother and his wife) and they are in support of our continued efforts!
You can find the GoFundMe page here.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this devastating loss.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.