Heartbreak in Louisiana: Engaged Couple Dies in Separate Crashes Just Hours Apart, Leaving Behind Their Young Son
A tragedy has shaken families across Louisiana after an engaged couple—deeply in love and planning a future together—died in separate car crashes just hours apart early Friday, May 16. Their sudden deaths have left behind a 4-year-old son and a heartbroken community.
Just last year, 25-year-old Alexus Lee celebrated her birthday and engagement to John “JR” Collins, 35, in a joyful Facebook post.
“I love you through good and bad times, through thick and thin,” she wrote. “I can’t wait to be your lifelong partner!!!! Mrs. Collins to be BABBY.” Photos of her engagement ring filled the comments section with congratulations from friends and family. The couple, parents to young Gabriel, had just bought their first home and were looking forward to a February 2026 wedding.
They never could have imagined that their love story would end so soon.
A Night That Changed Everything
In the early hours of May 16, around 2 a.m., Lee—an East Feliciana STEAM Academy teacher and recent Southern University graduate—was driving along LA-67 in East Baton Rouge Parish when her SUV left the road, hit a culvert, and flipped over. She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene, according to Louisiana State Police. Investigators are still waiting on toxicology results to determine whether impairment was a factor.
Just over an hour later, Collins received the devastating news that his fiancée had been in an accident. In shock and grief, he rushed to her side.
Tragically, around 3:45 a.m., Collins crashed while speeding in his 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. He lost control, struck a tree, and was ejected from the vehicle. He died at the scene. Like Lee, he was not wearing a seatbelt.
Collins, a truck driver like Lee’s late father, died just as he was trying to reach her.
Remembering Two Bright Lights
Family and friends flooded social media with messages of grief and remembrance. One friend posted, “Literally the sweetest soul anyone could meet… You left us too soon.” Another shared, “Your smile and spirit lit up every room—you had an energy that was unmatched.”
Collins’ sister wrote, “They just don’t make them like you. Rest easy and keep loving on my brother up there. You know we’ve got Gabe down here.”
One of Lee’s former teachers added, “People always talk about how teachers impact students, but we rarely mention how students touch our lives. Your light will be greatly missed.”
A Family United for Gabriel
Now, the focus turns to little Gabriel, the couple’s 4-year-old son, left to grow up without his mom and dad. Surrounded by two grieving families determined to come together, Gabriel’s future will be shaped by love and support.
“He understands what happened, and he’s just having trouble understanding why we can’t see or talk to them,” Collins’ mother, Sandra, told WAFB. “But he knows they are asleep and with God.”
Despite their heartbreak, both families are united in one mission: to give Gabriel a life full of love, stability, and support.
“I love them, and I’m going to miss them both,” Collins’ father, Arthur, said. “He loved Alexus, just like everyone who knew her. To know her was to love her.”
A Love That Endures
In just a few short hours, two lives full of promise were lost—but their love lives on through Gabriel. His very presence is a reminder of a bond so powerful that not even tragedy could sever it.
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