A newlywed mother’s life was tragically altered when her husband and 1-year-old daughter were killed in a fiery car crash while returning from their honeymoon. The devastating accident occurred just days after the couple’s wedding.
“Macey, Hunter, and Oakleigh were in a horrific car accident yesterday on their way home from their honeymoon in Pigeon Forge,” wrote Leigh Ann Payne-Weisser, Macey’s mother, in a heartfelt Facebook post. She shared that her daughter, Macey, was rushed to the burn unit at the University of Louisville Hospital for treatment after sustaining injuries.
“Hunter and Oakleigh are now with our Lord and Savior. Please keep Macey and our families lifted in prayer,” Payne-Weisser added, as the family mourns the loss of the young family members, according to Fox News.
The crash took place on July 26 on Kentucky Route 261 in Breckinridge County. According to Kentucky State Police, a Ford F-150 traveling south veered across the center line for unknown reasons and collided head-on with a Chevrolet Silverado. The force of the impact caused both vehicles to burst into flames.
Hunter Lyons, 22, and his 1-year-old daughter, Oakleigh, were pronounced dead at the scene by the Breckinridge County Coroner’s Office. Macey, who survived the crash, was immediately hospitalized. The tragic event occurred just a week after the couple’s wedding on July 19, as noted on their wedding page.
Hunter was remembered by loved ones as an active member of Constantine Missionary Baptist Church, where he enjoyed singing and playing guitar during services. An obituary described him as an outdoorsman who loved hunting, riding horses, and working with tractors and his 4-wheeler.
The couple’s daughter, Oakleigh, was lovingly remembered for her radiant smile, which was “like a ray of sunshine” and matched her “sassy personality.” Friends and family of the couple have come together to organize multiple fundraisers to assist Macey with funeral and medical expenses during this heart-wrenching time.
Kentucky State Police confirmed that Joseph Maynard, 48, of Owensboro, the driver of the F-150, also lost his life in the collision.