An engaged couple tragically passed away in separate vehicle crashes early Friday, May 16, just hours apart, leaving behind their 4-year-old kid and a devastated family. This story has devastated hearts throughout Louisiana.
Nearly a year ago, Alexus Lee celebrated her 25th birthday and her engagement to 35-year-old John “JR” Collins with an excited Facebook post.
In the June 7 letter, she addressed her fiancé and included pictures of her beautiful new engagement ring. She said, “I love you through good and bad times, through thick and thin.” “I am very excited to be your lifetime companion! Mrs. Collins is going to be a baby.
In the comments area, friends and family rushed to congratulate the couple, who are the parents of 4-year-old Garbiel.
Lee and Collins were excitedly organizing their wedding for February 2026 and purchasing their first home as part of their preparations for a life together.
The young couple had no idea that their journey was coming to an end because they were so enamored and full of dreams.
Lee
Lee, a recent graduate of Southern University who taught at East Feliciana STEAM Academy, was traveling along the LA-67 in East Baton Rouge Parish on May 16 at around two in the morning when the SUV she was driving swerved off the road, collided with a culvert, and crashed.
Lee, who was not wearing a seatbelt, passed away at the scene, according to Louisiana State Police.
“Impairment is unknown” until toxicological results are available, they add.
Investigators called Collins to inform him that his fiancée had been involved in an accident, according to WAFB 9.
Collins
Collins was devastated by the news and rushed to be with his true love.
According to authorities, Collins was heading south “at a high rate of speed” just before 3:45 a.m. when his 2016 Chevrolet Camaro failed to turn, collided with a tree, and he was thrown out of the car.
Collins “was declared dead at the scene after suffering fatal injuries.”
Like Lee’s late father, Collins was a truck driver who also passed away at the scene. He did not use a seatbelt either.
“An energy unlike any other”
On social media, friends and family expressed their sorrow, adding that “saying goodbye this soon feels wrong.”
“The sweetest soul anyone has ever met, literally.” One buddy says, “I’m sorry we didn’t have more time together, you left us too soon,” and includes pictures from the funeral. “I already miss that smile, which had an unrivaled energy and could light up a whole room.”
Another says, “I can’t even imagine it not existing anymore; you had the most vibrant smile and spirit.”
“You were the best, and I will definitely miss you,” writes Collins’ sister. Simply put, they don’t like you. You know we have Gabe down here, so rest easy and continue to love my brother up there.
“People always talk about the impact teachers have on students, but we never really talk about how much students mean to us,” continues one of Lee’s teachers. I’m very sorry, sweetheart. We shall really miss your light!
For Gabriel, two families merge.
Speaking to the media, tearful-eyed family members conveyed their deep sorrow for the couple and their now orphaned son, who must face life without either parent.
He is aware of what transpired, but he is unable to grasp that we are unable to speak with them. “He knows that they are sleeping and with God, even though we can’t see them,” Collins’ mother Sandra told WAFB. “We have an excellent support network, despite the fact that they left a child behind. We will make every effort to provide him with a nice life, and the two families will merge,” Sandra stated.
Arthur, Collins’ father, remarked, “I love them, I’m going to miss them both, and I’m going to find the strength to go ahead.”
In addition to everyone else who knew her, he loved Alexus. “To love her was to know her,” Sandra continued.
A young kid lost the parents who meant the world to him when two lives full of love, promise, and ambitions for the future vanished in a matter of hours.
Their baby Gabriel becomes the living testament to a love so strong that it persisted even in their last moments—two souls bonded together, even in tragedy—in the face of this unfathomable loss.
Kindly share your thoughts about this tragic tale with your friends so we can hear from them as well.
