Nine family members killed in overcrowded SUV crash are named – as cops reveal the terrible mistake they made that could have spared lives

Nine family members, including six children, were tragically killed in a horrific accident after their SUV ended up in a canal. None of them were wearing seatbelts.

The accident happened Monday night around 7:30 p.m. in Palm Beach County, Florida. There was only one survivor: Jorden Hall, 26, who was in critical condition in the hospital.

The victims killed in the crash have now been named as: Pamela Wiggins, 56, Leiana Alyse Hall, 30, Anyia Monique Lee Tucker, 21, Imani Hall, 8, Kamdien Edwards, 5, Yasire Smith, 5, Zaire Mack, 3, and Naleia Tucker, 1.

The police report, first obtained by wptvclaimed that none of the 10 victims were using “safety equipment” in the vehicle. Florida law requires the use of seat belts for all passengers and booster seats for children under five.

According to police, the entire family was in an SUV when the driver missed a turn and crashed into a guardrail, sending the vehicle into a nearby canal.

Kamdien’s mother, Anntainette Edwards, said Local10 that the devastating wreck is ‘like a bad dream’.

According to a crash report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the family was being driven by Pamela Wiggins in their 2023 Ford Explorer when the crash occurred.

As they approached a corner, Wiggins failed to turn and crashed into a guardrail. It is unclear why she lost control of the vehicle, and the crash remains under investigation.

The impact caused the SUV to flip over and fly into a nearby canal. When emergency services arrived, only the vehicle’s wheels were visible.

Four family members died on the spot, six others were rushed to nearby hospitals.

Five of the victims died in the hospital, but only Hall, 26, survived the horror. He remains in a West Palm Beach hospital, where he is recovering from serious injuries.

Images from the crash site show the guardrail destroyed by the impact of the SUV. Days later, crews returned to the scene to repair the damage.

Four family members were pronounced dead at the scene, and five others died in hospital, while only one family member survived the tragedy.

The family members, who traveled from several states, gathered in Florida last weekend for Wiggins’ mother’s disco-themed 80th birthday (pictured)

Pamela Wiggins, 56, (pictured) was driving the SUV with her family when she lost control of the vehicle

Tributes have poured in for the victims, who came from several states but gathered in Florida last weekend to celebrate Wiggins’ mother’s 80th birthday, the Miami Herald.

A photo was shared on Wiggins’ Facebook page showing family members enjoying a 70s-themed birthday party.

“I wanted to thank my entire family who traveled to Florida for my mom’s 80th birthday,” she captioned the post, adding that she was “so proud” of her daughters and that “her mom really enjoyed it.”

According to police, Wiggins was also preparing to celebrate her 57th birthday, which fell just a day after the accident.

Anntainette Edwards, whose five-year-old died in the crash, said her son was looking forward to starting kindergarten soon.

“He was happy, funny, not afraid of anything, a daredevil. He was just a happy baby,” she said.

The mother of victim Kamdian Edwards, 5, (pictured) said the tragedy has left her feeling like she is living in a ‘bad dream’

The six children who died in the crash were between the ages of one and eight. Pictured is victim Zaire Mack, 3

Ryanne Noel, a former colleague of Aniya Monique Lee Tucker, said she developed “a friendship” with the victim when they both lived in Connecticut.

“She was a bright young light of a soul, she was a beautiful person and a wonderful mother to her baby girl. I cherished the time we spent together. We traveled together and had a great friendship,” she said wptv.

Noel added that Tucker was the mother of the one-year-old baby who also died in the crash.

Patricia Wiggins, the daughter of Pamela and sister of Leiana, who died in the shipwreck, wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post: “Lord, please wake me up from this nightmare.

“Lord, I know You don’t make mistakes, but Lord, I’m having a hard time processing this.”

The family has a GoFundMe to help pay the rising funeral and other costs resulting from the tragedy.