Five young girls left orphaned on Christmas Eve after mom’s car got stuck on railroad tracks in Missouri
A Missouri mother of five was struck and killed by a train in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve after her car became stuck on the tracks.
Ashley Hogan, 35, was hit by a train just after 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 24 when her car became stuck on the tracks near the intersection of James S. McDonnell Boulevard and Banshee Road in St. Louis.
The single mother was on her way home from work at a nursing home, ready to shower her daughters, ages 15, 12, 11, 9 and 6, with Christmas presents in the trunk of her car when the tragedy occurred.
“We know that for an unknown reason the vehicle left the roadway and became stuck in the gravel area next to the railroad tracks,” said Missouri Highway Patrol Cpl. told Dallas Thompson First warning 4.
Police say they are investigating how her car ended up on the tracks and whether she suffered a medical episode before the train hit.
Hogan’s 60-year-old mother, Vernadine Hogan, told the local news station that the young mother’s children were her whole world and that she loved celebrating the holidays.
“She was always trying to figure out what I could do to top last Christmas, and unfortunately that didn’t happen this year,” Vernadine said.
‘I’m still trying to understand that I no longer have my daughter, and she no longer has their mother.
Single mother-of-five Ashley Hogan, 35, was hit by a train and killed on her way home from work on Christmas Eve
Hogan was struck by a train just after 3:30 a.m. on December 24 when her car became stuck on the tracks near the intersection of James S. McDonnell Boulevard and Banshee Road in St. Louis
“Never in my wildest imagination did I think that at my age I would be tasked with raising five children and having to start all over again.”
The young girls have moved in with the grandmother who has a GoFundMe to help cover their needs and funeral costs.
“She left behind five wonderful children that she loved and worked very hard for. They were her life and she was theirs, and now suddenly she’s gone,” Vernadine said on the page.
Hogan’s friend and high school classmate Ferguson Police Officer Andrae Spraggin launched a donation drive in partnership with the department to collect items for the girls.
“Her life revolved around her children,” Spraggin told the newspaper St. Louis Postal Service. “When the accident happened, she had presents for them in the trunk. That’s her. She’s a great mother.’
Police posted a message on Facebook informing the community that they will be accepting donations at the station Monday through Friday.
“Ferguson family, one of our officers has suffered a great loss in the death of a dear family friend who was killed when a train struck her stranded vehicle on Christmas Eve,” Ferguson police said.
‘The 35-year-old woman leaves behind 5 daughters. The children will now live with their grandmother, who has a fixed income. Help is definitely needed.’
The single mother was on her way home from work at a nursing home, ready to shower her daughters, ages 15, 12, 11, 9 and 6, with Christmas presents in the trunk of her car
Hogan’s mother, Vernadine Hogan, said the young mother’s children were her whole world and she loved celebrating the holidays
The young girls have moved in with the grandmother, who has launched a GoFundMe to help cover their needs and funeral costs
Spraggin told First warning 4 donations started pouring in before the official collection began.
“Ashley was a good person, a good friend and right now her daughters are the most important thing in the world,” he said.
“We won’t officially start collecting until Monday and we already received clothing and gift cards this past weekend, so the community has reached out and showed up.”