A 4-year-old Louisiana boy was orphaned after both his parents died in separate car crashes on the same road just hours apart—neither wearing a seatbelt that could have saved their lives.
At a Glance
- Alexus Lee and John “JR” Collins died in separate crashes hours apart on the same Louisiana highway
- Their son Gabriel, 4, is now being raised by grandparents
- Neither parent wore a seatbelt at the time of the accidents
- The couple had recently bought a home and planned to marry in February 2026
A Morning of Unimaginable Tragedy
The tragic sequence began early May 18 when 25-year-old Alexus Lee lost control of her Toyota Highlander on LA 67 near Lemon Road in Zachary. Her SUV struck a culvert and flipped, killing her at the scene. Lee, a teacher at East Feliciana STEAM Academy and a recent Southern University graduate, had a promising future and a wedding planned with her fiancé, 35-year-old John “JR” Collins, in February 2026.
Just hours later, Collins rushed to the crash site in his Chevrolet Camaro. Near Idlewild Road—less than three miles from where Lee died—he lost control and slammed into a tree. Like Lee, he was not wearing a seatbelt and died from his injuries. Their son, Gabriel, was left parentless within hours. The back-to-back accidents were confirmed in WAFB’s report.
The Preventable Tragedy
While grief consumes their loved ones, the reality cannot be ignored: both deaths were preventable. Law enforcement confirmed neither Lee nor Collins wore seatbelts. The devastating irony is clear—had they taken that one step, Gabriel might still have his parents.
“I love them and I’m gonna miss both of them, and I’m gonna find the strength to go ahead,” said Arthur Collins, JR’s father, as quoted in the Daily Mail.
Dreams Replaced by Grief
Just weeks before, the couple had closed on a new home. Instead of planning a wedding, their families now prepare a joint funeral service to be held at the school where Lee once inspired her students. Gabriel, too young to understand the full scale of what’s happened, is now in the care of his grandparents.
Sandra Collins, Gabriel’s grandmother, told the New York Post, “We can’t see them, but he understands that they are asleep and are with God.”
A Family Rebuilds
The tragedy has united two grieving families, now committed to raising Gabriel with the same love and care his parents had planned. “Losing Lexus just different. It was a different feeling, and it’s like I know a part of me gone,” said her brother Dominique Lee.
“He loved Alexus as well as everybody else who knew her. To know her was to love her,” Sandra Collins added, remembering the warmth and light the couple brought to those around them.
Their story is one of heartbreak—but also of love, resilience, and a sobering reminder that the smallest decisions, like fastening a seatbelt, can shape the course of generations.
