Three members of a Colorado family were killed in a horrific car crash while driving to visit their son at college in Arizona for Spring Break.
Sarah Case, 50, and Sophia Case, 17, died in the crash on March 14, and Sam Case, 50, died from his injuries sustained in the crash four days later.
The family was driving to Phoenix to visit their son, Montgomery, 22, who attends Grand Canyon University, according to the Coloradoan.
Their other son, Keaton, 24, was set to fly out and join the family the next day for a family-filled Spring Break adventure.
A preliminary investigation found the deadly crash was caused by a semi-truck that rear-ended a Cadillac Escalade, causing a chain reaction that involved a Jeep Wrangler and another semi-truck.
Arizona Department of Public Safety said the crash happened amid heavy traffic congestion caused by detours from winter storm-related road closures in northern Arizona.
Sophia, who died just one day before her 18th birthday, was a senior at Heritage Christian Academy and the captain of the girls’ basketball team.
‘Sam, Sarah and Sophia were driving down to the Phoenix area where Montgomery (their son) was attending GCU. Keaton (the oldest son) was going to fly out the next day. They were just going to spend some time doing some of their favorite things in Arizona for spring break,’ Joe Packard, Sophia’s basketball coach, told KDVR.
The coach said the Case family was a pillar of Heritage Christian Academy, and he went to Arizona to visit Sam in his final days.
‘I honestly just fell down where I was I just fell down and you just think this can’t be possible,’ said Packard. ‘I spent some time with Sam in the hospital in the remaining days Sam was alive.
‘Sam and Sarah were as generous and faithful as any parents I’ve seen in my 20 years at Heritage Christian. Sophia followed in their footsteps as Keaton and Montgomery did at school and in sports before her.
‘They were perfect representatives of what we hope families will be at HCA as servants of other people and followers of Christ. It will be really hard to move on without them.’
The coach said Sophia was a beloved team member and made the all-league basketball team.
‘I didn’t get to tell her that; I was waiting to tell the girls at the end-of-season banquet. She would have been so proud,’ Packard said.
‘She loved the sport but for her, it was all about the relationships. She nurtured some really incredible relationships from the freshman all the way to the seniors in her class with her.’
He also said Sarah ‘was as much a part of our team as Sophia,’ and kept the team scorebook for the last three years and brought a cooler full of snacks for everyone on every team trip.
‘Heritage has suffered a tragic loss in our school family. Please pray for the Case family as well as the Heritage school family as we cry, grieve, and pray together for the unimaginable loss of members of this beloved family,’ the school said in a statement.
Sam and Sarah worked together at Real Property Management of the Rockies, Sam was the chief executive officer and Sarah the communications director.
‘They lived their lives according to a biblical example from scripture,’ said Jarid Sinkler, operations manager.
‘We lost Sam and Sarah physically. I don’t get to see them in the office every day but when I walk into that office and interact with the people I work with, I’m interacting with Sam and Sarah every day.
‘Their fingerprints are on everything we touch, everything we do. The way the company operates, the relationships in the office are all built on the foundation of Sam and Sarah Case and their generosity.’
Sinkler said the could was a great example of love and leadership for the children and they gave back to the community.
‘Sam was a skilled businessman, but what set him apart was his generosity and sincerity. He always said and lived by his quote, “Just do what’s right,”‘ Sinkler said.
The funeral is scheduled for April 11 at Timberline Church. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend.
A CaringBridge has been set up to collect donations to help the Case family as they recover from their tragic loss.