PIKE COUNTY, Ind. — A family trip that was supposed to end with children returning home after a day of fun instead ended in tragedy when a collision killed a mother and her 8-year-old daughter and critically injured four other children.
Amanda Wertman and her daughter Michaela were killed in the crash Saturday, Aug. 28, on State Road 64 at County Road 1000 East in Pike County, according to local reports.
Four additional children were critically injured in the collision. Authorities have not yet publicly released the identities of three of those children.
The crash has left multiple families facing devastating losses and uncertainty as investigators work to determine exactly what happened.
Children Were Returning From Girl Scouts Trip
According to Oaklie Disney’s mother, Elizabeth, the group had been traveling home after a Girl Scouts trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, when the collision occurred.
What had been a day of activities and time together quickly became an emergency.
Oaklie, an 8-year-old girl, was identified publicly by her family as one of the four children injured in the crash. She was transported for medical treatment and remains at Louisville Children’s Hospital, according to a fundraiser created to support her family.
The identities and conditions of the other three injured children have not been publicly disclosed. Indiana State Police said crash reconstruction investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the collision.
“Indiana State Police crash reconstruction investigators are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash involving two passenger vehicles,” the agency said in a statement.
Crash Allegedly Involved Person Fleeing Police
The circumstances surrounding the collision have added another troubling element to the tragedy. According to the Evansville Courier-Press, authorities said the crash involved a person who was fleeing from police.
Investigators are now working to establish the sequence of events leading up to the collision and determine how the pursuit-related circumstances contributed to the crash.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not released all details about what happened immediately before the two vehicles collided.
For the families involved, however, the consequences are already devastating.
Amanda and Michaela did not survive the crash, while several children are now facing serious injuries and lengthy recoveries.
Family Faces Loss While Son Also Recovers
A fundraiser has been established to support Amanda Wertman’s surviving family members following the crash.
Genny Rowe, a cousin of Amanda’s husband, Simon Wertman, created the GoFundMe to help the family manage the financial and emotional challenges ahead. The fundraiser also revealed that Amanda’s 5-year-old son, Theodore, is recovering in the hospital himself.
“On top of this unimaginable grief, Theodore is also recovering in the hospital himself,” the fundraiser description said.
As of publication, the fundraiser had raised more than $53,000 toward an $80,000 goal.
The money is intended to help the family cope with the enormous practical burdens that have followed the crash while they grieve Amanda and Michaela.
Injured 8-Year-Old Faces Serious Recovery
Oaklie Disney’s family is also dealing with a difficult medical situation following the collision. A separate fundraiser was created by Jordynn Neese, who described herself as a friend of Oaklie’s mother, Elizabeth.
According to Neese, Oaklie suffered two brain bleeds in the crash and is receiving treatment at Louisville Children’s Hospital.
Her parents, Christian and Elizabeth, have remained by their daughter’s side while doctors provide the care she needs.
“No family is ever prepared for something like this,” Neese wrote in the fundraiser description, emphasizing the emotional strain facing Oaklie’s loved ones.
Family Seeks Justice After Beloved Donkey HeeHaw is Shot and Killed by Police in His Own Pasture
The fundraiser had raised more than $17,000 toward its $26,000 goal as of publication.
Investigation Continues as Families Seek Support
Indiana State Police investigators are continuing their work to reconstruct the crash and determine the events that led to the deadly collision.
Meanwhile, the affected families are relying on community support as they navigate an unimaginable situation.
For the Wertman family, the tragedy has meant mourning Amanda and Michaela while also supporting Theodore during his own recovery.
For Oaklie’s family, the focus remains on helping their young daughter recover from serious injuries.
The collision has left a community grieving and several families waiting for answers about how a trip home from a Girl Scouts outing could end in such devastating circumstances.
What are your thoughts on this heartbreaking Indiana crash? Leave a message of support for the affected families in the comments below.
One thought on “Mother, 8-Year-Old Daughter Killed in Horrific Indiana Collision as Four Children Fight for Their Lives”