A 4-year-old boy is struggling to accept the fact that he can no longer speak to his parents after they both died in two separate car crashes. The tragic, freak accidents took place hours apart from one another in Zachary, Louisiana, a suburb of Baton Rouge. The trouble began on May 16, 2025, when 25-year-old Alexus Lee lost control of her SUV as she was driving north on LA 67 shortly after 2 a.m.
Authorities contacted Lee’s fiancé, John “JR” Collins. As he drove to the site of the crash, he also got into a collision and died on the scene.
Collins hit a tree after Lee’s accident.
Lee was driving when her car hit a culvert and flipped over on Plank Road, WAFB reported. As Collins made his way to the crash site, he lost control of his car, also on Plank Road. He struck a tree and was ejected from the car. He also died at the scene. Troopers confirmed that neither Lee or Collins were wearing seatbelts at the time of their crashes.
‘He understands that they are asleep and are with God,’ JR’s mom said.
The family members have had to describe these unimaginable losses to the couple’s 4-year-old son. “He understands what happened, and he’s just having a little problem comprehending that we can’t talk to them. We can’t see them, but he understands that they are asleep and are with God,” JR’s mother Sandra Collins said.
Alexus’ sister, Dominique Lee, said losing her sister is a different type of pain, and described it like losing a piece of herself. Still, she has found solace in this: “I know they left here knowing their child is in good hands for sure,” Dominique Lee said.
‘I’m gonna find the strength to go ahead,’ Collins’ father said.
JR’s parents reflected on the couple’s romance. “He loved Alexus as well as everybody else who knew her. To know her was to love her,” Sandra said. “I love them and I’m gonna miss both of them, and I’m gonna find the strength to go ahead,” Collins’ father, Arthur Collins told WAFB.
The family had a joint celebration for both JR and Alexus.
Alexus recently graduated from Southern University and taught at East Feliciana STEAM Academy. JR was a truck driver. The couple, who planned to marry in February 2026, had just purchased a home together. As their families each mourn their losses, they have vowed to unite for the sake of the legacy they’ve both left behind.
“The two families will blend, and we will do whatever it takes to give him a good life,” JR’s father said. Both families planned a joint celebration for the couple that took place at Alexus’ school.
