Family living a 'nightmare' after Springfield native and her 4 kids killed in crash
The crash occurred the evening of May 15 in Miller County.
Family living a 'nightmare' after Springfield native and her 4 kids killed in crash The crash occurred the evening of May 15 in Miller County. Check out this story on news-leader.com: https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/2019/05/29/springfield-fatal-crash-family-killed-radiance-wright-columbia-accident/1259317001/
Harrison Keegan, Springfield News-Leader Published 6:32 p.m. CT May 29, 2019
There were news reports, a candlelight vigil and a funeral service with a beautiful butterfly release.
But for Shaundale Coleman, it still doesn't seem real.
Coleman's sister, Radiance Wright, and Wright's four children — Rondrea Anderson, 8; Arleone Horton, 4; Patience Horton, 3; and Byra Brown, who was less than a year old — were all killed in a car crash May 15 on U.S. 54 in Miller County.
Radiance Wright and her children (Photo: Submitted photo)
"It's still like a dream," Coleman said. "Like a real bad nightmare."
Wright, 30, was a Springfield native who attended Parkview High School. She moved to Columbia a couple of years ago.
Coleman said Wright was busy raising her children, working at a retail store and studying to become a nurse.
"She was just working to being the ultimate mom to her kids," Coleman said.
Everything changed on May 15 as Wright was beginning the familiar drive down to Springfield.
A crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol says Wright's 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor traveled off the left side of the roadway and overturned multiple times before coming to rest upright. This was at 7:15 p.m., just west of Highway 87.
Troopers say no one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt.
Now, Coleman will no longer get to talk to his sister on the phone or watch his nieces and nephew grow up.
"I wouldn't want to wish that on anyone," he said.
Coleman said Wright was a talkative woman with a great personality who put her children's needs ahead of her own.
He said Rondrea was stubborn but so smart, Arleone was all boy and loved "Paw Patrol," Patience was "the strong one of the bunch," and Byra had "the best smile ever."
A funeral service for the family was held Friday in Springfield.
As the family tries to process its grief, Coleman said he is also frustrated by a lack of information about what led up to the crash. He said there would be some closure in knowing if it was an animal darting across the roadway or something else that caused his sister to lose control of the vehicle.
"We're just hoping that someone comes forward that actually seen the accident and is willing to let the family know what happened," Coleman said.
Coleman said the family is asking anyone who might have witnessed the crash to contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
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