Two Tragedies, One Heartbreaking Morning: Louisiana Couple Dies Hours Apart In Separate Crashes
Two families in Louisiana are leaning on each other and their faith after an unimaginable tragedy took the lives of two people just hours apart.
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Alexus Lee, 25, and her fiancé John “JR” Collins, 35, were planning a wedding, raising their 4-year-old son Gabriel, and building a new life together in their freshly purchased home. But all of that came to a sudden end in the early hours of Friday morning when both were killed in separate car accidents on the same stretch of Plank Road.
According to Louisiana State Police, Alexus was driving around 2 a.m. when she reportedly lost control of her SUV and crashed into a culvert, flipping the vehicle. She died at the scene. Officers then called her fiancé, JR, to notify him of the heartbreaking news. But in a devastating twist of fate, JR never made it to the scene.
Just under two hours later—around 3:45 a.m.—JR lost control of his vehicle while heading to the crash site. His car struck a tree and he was thrown from the vehicle. Like his fiancée, he also died at the scene. Troopers confirmed that neither of them were wearing seatbelts.
“I’m Gonna Find The Strength To Go Ahead”: Families Speak Out Through Tears
The pain in the voices of their loved ones is raw and real. JR’s father, Arthur Collins, told local news outlet WAFB, “I love them. I’m gonna miss both of them, and I’m gonna find the strength to go ahead.”
Alexus’ sister, Dominque Lee, shared how her world changed in an instant. “Losing Alexus just different. It was a different feeling, and it’s like I know a part of me gone.”
As the families grieve, they’re also holding onto the love the couple had for each other—and the beautiful life they created together in their son, Gabriel.
Sandra Collins, JR’s mother, remembered the connection between her son and his bride-to-be: “He loved Alexus, as well as everybody else who knew her. To know her was to love her.”
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Alexus Lee had recently graduated from Southern University and was a teacher at East Feliciana STEAM Academy. She was passionate about education and uplifting the next generation.
JR Collins was a truck driver with a love for sports cars, and a man with plans. He wasn’t just building a house—he was building a future. Their wedding was already scheduled for February 2026, and they were excited about all the new beginnings ahead.
But fate had different plans. And now, instead of planning a wedding, the families are organizing a joint funeral service scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Despite their pain, both families are standing strong for Gabriel—the son the couple leaves behind.
“Their Love Lives On Through Gabriel”: Honoring A Legacy
Four-year-old Gabriel might not understand everything that’s happened, but he feels the loss.
“He’s just having a little problem comprehending that we can’t talk to them. We can’t see them, but he understands that they are asleep and are with God,” Sandra Collins shared through tears.
Still, there’s a powerful unity rising out of the ashes of this tragedy.
“The two families will blend, and we will do whatever it takes to give him a good life,” she said.
Dominque Lee added, “I know they left here knowing their child is in good hands, for sure.”
