2 boys survive Ky. crash that killed 11: Victims included 9 from Mennonite family headed to wedding
In addition to John and Sadie Esh, the dead included their children Anna, Rose, Rachel, and Leroy and his wife, Naomi. Jalen, the adopted infant son of Leroy and Naomi, also was killed. Funerals for the family and Gingerich were set for Tuesday.The family was travelling to Iowa to attend a wedding when their van was struck by an out-of-control semi with such force that the transmission and engine wound up scattered along with the truck's contents, according to this morning's paper. The Mennonites belonged to a church that had been Amish but had transitioned to Mennonite a few years ago so they could use modern conveniences such as cars and telephones. They are part of a very tight-knit community, and this has been a severe blow. The baby was just 2 months old. In the churchyard, so far there is only one grave, that of the Esh' son, who died in a snowmobile accident on a mission trip to the Ukraine. Now, unfortunately, there will be more graves to join his. No word yet on what happened with the semi, as the driver was also killed, but was so badly burnt there may be little evidence to glean. I'm sure there will be an investigation, though. Also, cables were installed on that stretch of I-65, but they were the lighter type that restrain cars and lighter trucks but not fully-loaded semis. The decision was made to install them because they were cheaper than the heavier cables. The semi crossed the median through the cables and hit the Esh' van head-on.
Family friend Ashlie Kramer and the truck driver, 45-year-old Kenneth Laymon of Alabama, also died.
The only survivors of the crash were two boys from Guatemala also adopted by the couple as infants. Police credited child safety seats for sparing Josiah, 5, and Johnny, 3.
My thoughts and prayers are with the community to which the Eshes and the others belonged, and for the two children who, by some miracle, escaped their family's fate.
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