Laura Jane Hall, 17 of Carlisle, passed away Wednesday March 28, 2012, in an auto accident. 

 

Laura Jane was born in Vincennes Oct. 11, 1994, daughter of Robert and Lisa Hall. 

 

She is survived by her parents, Robert Hall of Carlisle,  and Lisa Lambert Choate and her companion, Bucky Roberts, of Princeton; three brothers, USMC Cpl. Jonathan Hall (Danyel) of Carlisle, Brady Choate of Mt. Carmel, Ill.,  Walker Choate of Washington; niece Skylar Hall of Carlisle, grandparents Bonnie Lambert Powers (Eugene) of Owensville and Dee and Wayne Hall of Carlisle; uncle David Lambert of Mt. Vernon; aunts Sharon Henson and Lori Harms (Greg Wilkinson) of Mt. Carmel, Ill., Kathy (Don) Cowling of Princeton, and Teresa Hall of Carlisle;  several cousins, including Samantha who Laura was especially close to, and close family friend Donald (Duck) Campbell of Mt. Carmel.

 

Laura Jane enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She especially enjoyed babysitting Noah and Anna, who also lost their lives in the crash.  Laura Jane was a joy to be around and had a smile that would light up a room.

 

She is now in the care of her Papaw Thomas Lambert, who preceded her in death along with her uncles, Gary Henson and Mike Harms.

 

Visitation for Laura Jane will be Tuesday, April 3 at Holmes Memorial Chapel in Sullivan,  from 4-8 p.m. EST.  Services will take place at Carlisle United Methodist Church Wednesday at 11 a.m. with Pastor Mike Irwin officiating. 

 

Burial will take place at Highland Memorial Cemetery in Mt. Carmel.

 

 

OAKTOWN, Ind. — Two toddlers, their pregnant mother and two other people died when the car they were riding in became wedged under a semitrailer and burst into flames on a southwestern Indiana highway, authorities said Thursday.

The crash Wednesday night killed Emma Lockard, 21, of Carlisle; her two children, 2-year-old Annaleigh Hunt and 1-year-old Noah Hunt; and two 17-year-olds, Ronnie Mendoza of Carlisle and Laura Hall of Mt. Carmel, Ill., Knox County Sheriff Mike Morris said. Hall and Lockard were cousins.

Lockard was 3 months pregnant, the sheriff said.

“In 35 years of working in law enforcement and being here at the sheriff’s department, this is the worst crash as far as magnitude and trauma that I’ve ever seen,” Morris said at a news conference Thursday.

Autopsies revealed that all five victims died from smoke inhalation, Knox County Coroner Donnie Halter told the Vincennes Sun-Commercial.

Morris said the accident occurred about 8:45 p.m. on U.S. 41 near its intersection with old U.S. 41 just outside of Oaktown, about 40 miles south of Terre Haute.

Lockard apparently crossed from the northbound lanes of U.S. 41 into the southbound lanes and drove under the semi’s trailer, triggering an explosion and fire that engulfed her car and the trailer, Morris said.

The driver of the semi, Jeffery T. Richardson of Waverly, Tenn., was not injured but was taken to Sullivan County Community Hospital and submitted to blood tests that confirmed he wasn’t under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, the Sun-Commercial reported.

Investigators don’t know why Lockard drove into the side of the trailer, Morris said. Officers found no skid marks to indicate she tried to stop. The intersection is flanked by hills and curves but is clear of any obstructions.

“We just don’t know,” Morris said.

Police and fire crews remained on the scene for more than six hours before before U.S. 41, a major four-lane highway, was reopened to traffic. Morris said the semitrailer had to be cut in half and lifted off the car so crews could work to extricate the victims.

The fire burned so hot, he added, that the kind of vehicle Lockard was driving couldn’t immediately be determined. Using an identification number, it was later determined that it was a 1993 mid-size Cadillac sedan.

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Information from: Vincennes Sun-Commercial, http://www.vincennes.com