College student killed after loose tire crashes through her windshield
A college student was killed after a tire from a truck broke loose on a highway and smashed through her windshield.
Lauren Alyssa Collins, 18, was driving south on Interstate 75 in Kentucky by the Ohio border shortly after midnight on Sunday when a tire detached from a northbound truck, stated the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.
The tire bounced across a concrete median and crashed through the windshield of her car. She died from the freak accident.
‘Lauren had a vivacious personality and was a great friend,’ states her obituary.
‘She attracted people to herself as a “free spirit” and was always very animated and enjoyed being a “jokester”. Lauren was known for her style and ability to light up a room.’
Collins was ‘extricated’ from her wrecked 2012 Buick LaCrosse by Walton Fire Department first responders. She suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where she died.
She was the only person in her car.
The truck and the driver had not been identified as of Tuesday night. The vehicle was reportedly a dual pickup truck with four ties in the rear axle.
Collins, of Independence, Kentucky, was a full-time student majoring in fashion merchandising, apparel and textiles at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority.
She recently worked at Buffalo Wild Wings and previously at Emerson’s Bakery in Florence. Collins went to Simon Kenton High School.
Collins is survived by her mother Amy Marsh and father Keith Collins, her brother Kyle Collins, her step-brother Austin Marsh and ‘many other family members and friends’, according to her obituary.
Her mother Amy wrote on social media: ‘I never thought I would ever in a million years write these words… I am heartbroken and shattered into a million pieces.
‘My baby girl is gone, Lauren passed away in a car accident last night. Please pray for our family.’
A prayer service and celebration of life gathering for her will be held on Saturday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home.
Her memorial scholarship fund had raised more than $6,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
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