Three Young Kansas Girls Die in Car Crash on Their Way to a Girl Scout Event

What was supposed to be a fun day for three Kansas elementary school students turned into a horrifying tragedy when they met an accident on their way to a girl scout event.

Parents feel emotional watching their little ones achieve multiple milestones while growing up. They wish their kids to experience all the good things in life, but sometimes, fate's plans force them to face horrifying realities.

The parents in today's story also wished to see their daughters succeed in life, but things took a different turn when the young girls met an accident on the road. It was an incident no one saw coming.

The Girl Scouts

When nine-year-old Laila El Azari left her home to attend a girl scout event on October 8, 2022, her family had no idea she would never return. She was in a van with her fellow girl scouts: Kylie Lund, nine, and Brooklyn Peery, eight.

32-year-old Amber Peery was driving the girls to Kansas City when the unthinkable happened. The girls thought they would reach their destination on time, but fate had other plans.

While Amber was driving the girls on the Kansas Turnpike, she decided to make a U-turn through the barrier wall, unaware of what would happen a few seconds later.

The U-Turn

As Amber attempted to make a U-turn, she lost control of her vehicle after a semi-tractor trailer crashed into the van. According to Kansas Highway Patrol, 70-year-old Robert Hosey Russell was driving the semi.

The residents near the accident site told the authorities that people often used the emergency U-turn.

State troopers received a call about the accident at about 9 a.m., and first responders soon arrived at the crash site. While Russell wasn't injured during the incident, the first responders moved Amber to the hospital with Carrington Peery, 5, and Gabriella Ponomarez, 9.

The Three Girls

According to authorities, El Azari, Lund, and Brooklyn died during the crash. Their families were beyond devastated after learning about the unfortunate incident. Lund's mother, Tiffany Capri Lunn, said:

"She was my everything, and I was her everything, and my heart is just broken right now."

"I just don't know where to go from here. She [Lund] was my purpose. She was my everything. I'm just lost without her," the devastated mother added. Never in a million years had she imagined losing her daughter at such a tender age.

The Fundraiser

Lund's mother revealed that her daughter was friends with El Azari and played with her almost daily. El Azari's family created a GoFundMe page to cover the funeral expenses. The fundraiser organizer said:

"Laila's precious soul was taken from us too soon, and her father, Rida, mother, Claudette, and brother need support in this very hard time."

The goal of the fundraiser was to raise $10,000. As of October 11, more than $5,000 have been raised through 72 donations. The top donor, Ronald Officer, gave $1,000.

The Devastated Mother

Brooklyn's mother, Amber, expressed her feelings in a Facebook post. She said she couldn't understand why her baby girl left her so soon, but she was sure Brooklyn would watch over her siblings from above. Amber said:

"I honestly don't know how I'm going to keep going without you, but I know I have to, and everything I do will be with a purpose for you."

Neighbors of El Azari and Brooklyn set up a memorial for the girls who went to Farley Elementary School. Meanwhile, the residents near the accident site told the authorities that people often used the emergency U-turn where the girls lost their lives.

Help and Support

"Our hearts are broken for the girls and families of Troop 5567 from Topeka, Kansas, who tragically lost three Girl Scouts in an automobile accident on Saturday," the Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri said.

Since the incident had affected the students, parents, and teachers in the Auburn-Washburn District, the officials sent emails to them. The emails read:

"Such a loss raises emotions and questions for our entire school community, especially our students."

The district authorities sent trained professionals to the schools to help students during this stressful time. They also extended support to staff members who needed help after learning about the horrifying incident.

The Comments

Apart from family, friends, and school authorities, Netizens felt terrible for the little girls who lost their lives. Here are some of the comments that people left under WIBW's Facebook post about the incident:

"Prayers for everyone affected by this tragedy."

― (@Linda Shaver) October 10, 2022

"My heart hurts for everyone involved and their families, as life will never be the same for any of them."

― (@Kallie Kirk) October 11, 2022

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the little girls who lost their lives. We pray for the speedy recovery of those injured during the collision.

Click here to read a heartbreaking story about a mother and her son who got killed in a crash. They were on their way to school when the incident happened.