A mother and her 8-year-old daughter were killed and four other children were critically injured in a horrific Indiana crash involving a driver who authorities say was fleeing from police.
Amanda Wertman and her daughter, Michaela, died in the collision Saturday, Aug. 28, on State Road 64 at County Road 1000 East in Pike County.
The group had reportedly been driving home from a Girl Scouts trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, when the crash happened.
Indiana State Police said crash reconstruction investigators are working to determine exactly what led to the collision between two passenger vehicles.
Local reports said one of the vehicles was being driven by a person fleeing police at the time.
Four children were critically injured.
One of them has been publicly identified by her family as 8-year-old Oaklie Disney. The names of the other three injured children have not been released.
Oaklie’s mother, Elizabeth, said the children were returning from the Girl Scouts outing when tragedy struck.
Oaklie was taken to Louisville Children’s Hospital, where she was being treated for serious injuries, including two brain bleeds, according to a GoFundMe created for her family.
Her parents, Christian and Elizabeth, have remained by her side as she continues to recover.
“Her parents, Christian and Elizabeth, are by her side as she receives the care she needs, staying close to their little girl during this incredibly scary and uncertain time,” fundraiser organizer Jordynn Neese wrote.
The fundraiser has raised more than $17,000 toward a $26,000 goal.
Another fundraiser was created for the Wertman family following the deaths of Amanda and Michaela.
Amanda’s 5-year-old son, Theodore, survived the crash but is also recovering in the hospital.
“On top of this unimaginable grief, Theodore is also recovering in the hospital himself,” organizer Genny Rowe wrote. “This is an incredibly painful and overwhelming time for Theodore and his family as they try to process so much loss while also facing the practical burdens that come with it.”
The fundraiser for the Wertman family has raised more than $53,000 toward an $80,000 goal.
The crash remains under investigation as police work to reconstruct what happened and determine the full circumstances surrounding the deadly collision.
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