Both parents died in the crash, as well as three of the six children.
Five members of a family on a dream trip to Disney World will killed late Wednesday when the teenage son who apparently fell asleep at the wheel crashed their SUV in northern Louisiana, police said.
Three of the six children survived the crash, which killed both parents.
The Terrell, Texas family had been driving their white 2005 Chevy Tahoe at around 10:45 p.m. on Interstate 20 near Calhoun, La., when the teenage son who was driving at the time — 16-year-old Andrew Hardman — fell asleep, veered left and overcorrected to the right, rolling the SUV and throwing out six people who were not buckled in, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Hardman, who was wearing a seat belt and had only minor injuries, was charged with reckless operation of a vehicle. Another child, Hunter Watson, also only suffered minor injuries, while 12-year-old Aaron Hardman was in critical condition at a hospital in Shreveport. Parents Michael and Trudi Hardman died, as did children Kaci Hardman, 4, Adam Hardman, 7, and Dakota Watson, 15.
Three of the children where Michael Hardman’s from a prior marriage, and two were Truci Hardman’s. Kaci was their only child together. Michael Hardman taught the second grade at a local elementary school and coached Little League Baseball, which his sons played. Truci Hardman was a kindergarten teacher.
The Disney World trip had been planned nine months ago, and offered a rare opportunity to take all their kids with them for a family outing.
Louisiana State Trooper Michael Reichardt said he did not believe Andrew Hardman was impaired while driving, although police took a toxicology sample. He said the crash illustrates the importance of wearing seat belts, as the driver was buckled and survived while those thrown from the vehicle did not survive. Riding without a seat belt buckled is against Texas and Louisiana law.
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