A Michigan family of five was killed Sunday when a wrong-way driver believed to be drunk crashed into their SUV on a Kentucky interstate as they were returning from a vacation, authorities said. Issam Abbas, 42, his wife, Dr. Rima Abbas, 38, and their children Ali, 14; Isabella, 13; and Giselle, 7, all died after the SUV they were in went up in flames after being struck head-on by a pickup truck headed south in a northbound lane on I-75 in Lexington, according to the Lexington Police Department. The driver of the pickup, identified as a 41-year-old Georgetown, Kentucky, man was also killed in the 2:30 a.m. collision, said police, who asked the public for any information they had regarding the crash. The Fayette County Coroner believes the pickup truck driver was under the influence. The Abbas family was returning home from a trip to Florida, the coroner said. "Our hearts are broken at this horrific news," ACCESS, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, said in a statement. "Dr. Rima and her family were loving members of the Dearborn community and they will forever remain in our memory." Funeral services for the family began Sunday and would run through Tuesday at the Islamic Center of America, according to the City of Dearborn. A statement from Northville Public Schools, which the three children attended, said support staff would be available Monday to help students work through the loss, according to NBC affiliate WDIV. "Our hearts go out to this grieving family and all those affected by this tremendous loss," the statement said.<doc-sep>Lexington, Ky. — A suspected drunken driver heading the wrong way on Interstate 75 in Kentucky struck a vehicle carrying five family members from Michigan early Sunday, killing all six people, authorities said. The southbound pickup truck being driven in the northbound lanes struck the family's sport utility vehicle at 2:30 a.m. in Lexington. The SUV caught fire and all five occupants of that vehicle died, along with the pickup's driver, Lexington police said in a statement. The family from Northville, Michigan, was returning from a vacation in Florida, the Fayette County coroner's office said. Witness Kenneth DeGraaf told local media the pickup truck was coming toward him prior to the fiery crash. "I thought I was seeing something, honestly," DeGraaf told WLEX-TV. "He was in the center lane. I was in the center lane. I had to merge out of the way at the last second to get to the right lane. I mean, he was flying. Absolutely flying." Crews respond to a deadly car accident early Sun., Jan. 6, 2019, in Lexington, Ky. WKYT-TV The driver of the white pickup was identified as 41-year-old Joey Lee Bailey of Georgetown. The coroner's statement says authorities believe Bailey was driving under the influence. Results of a toxicology report are pending, according to CBS affiliate WKYT-TV. The interstate was shut for hours as the accident investigation opened. Authorities identified the Michigan family members as 42-year-old Issam Abbas and Rima Abbas, 38, and their children: a boy, Ali Abbas, 14, and girls Isabella Abbas, 13, and Giselle Abbas, 7. The City of Dearborn, Michigan, posted an image of the family on Instagram, writing, "Please keep them, their families and friends in your thoughts and prayers." According to the Islamic Center of America of Dearborn, Michigan, funeral services for the family are set for Tuesday at the center. Local media reported in Michigan that the death of the family has devastated relatives and friends. Habib Abbas of Dearborn, who identified himself as a cousin of the father, told The Detroit News that when he first heard about the crash he didn't believe it and went about his day. "I thought it was a rumor or something and then saw it again and called her sister. She and the family are even more in denial," Abbas told the newspaper. He added that Issam Abbas was a lawyer and that Rima Abbas was a doctor and devoted mother to their children. He said the extended family was close and that his cousin led a "beautiful life." "You don't expect a whole family to get wiped out," he said. "You think to yourself 'What's the worst case scenario?' and that's it." It was the second crash in three days involving multiple deaths on Interstate 75, a bustling north-south corridor crossing the nation's midsection from South Florida to the U.S. border with Canada. Near Gainesville, Florida, an accident Thursday on a relatively flat stretch of the interstate that started between two tractor-trailers killed seven people, including five children on a trip to Walt Disney World in a church van from Louisiana. The truck drivers also were killed and at least eight others were injured. Anyone with information about Sunday's accident is urged to call (859) 258-3663.<doc-sep>A new clue found in the truck that smashed head-on into an SUV on I-75, killing a family of five from Northville, suggests that the driver may have been intoxicated, Kentucky police said Tuesday. "There was some evidence recovered in the vehicle that might lead us to believe that's a possibility," said Brenna Angel, a Lexington Police spokeswoman. "We are looking at all possible factors that may have contributed to him going the wrong direction." Angel declined to elaborate on what was found. An official determination has not been made and toxicology results are pending. The Northville family — Issam Abbas, 42; his wife, Dr. Rima Abbas, 38, and their three children, Ali, 13; Isabella, 12, and Giselle, 7 — was returning from a Florida vacation in their Cadillac Escalade when they were struck by the white Chevrolet pickup. No one survived. Police in Lexington, Kentucky, are attempting to reconstruct the accident, looking for clues to why the pickup driver — Joey Lee Bailey, 41, of Georgetown, Kentucky, who also died — went the wrong way on the interstate. Based on 911 calls, police said Bailey likely was traveling the strip of interstate through Kentucky for about 6 miles. He likely got on the highway headed in the wrong direction at mile marker 113. The collision occurred at marker 107. In addition, surveillance video captured by a nearby business shows a white pickup on the interstate, a Kentucky TV station reported. Angel, who declined to comment on Bailey's driving record, said the pickup driver was absolutely at fault. More: Family killed in I-75 crash delayed trip because of grandmother's death Michigan family of 5 killed in fiery crash to be laid to rest, community mourns Thousands mourn Abbas family at Islamic Center of America in Dearborn A look at Bailey's driving history in Kentucky through public records turned up no prior cases of driving or operating under the influence. Court documents did turn up dismissed cases in 2002 for excessive window tinting and no tinting label, dismissed cases in 2006 of speeding and failing to wear a seat belt, and dismissed cases in 2007 of no or expired plate registration, no operator's license. Bailey was found guilty in 2007 of permitting unlawful vehicle operation. It's yet unclear, police said, what caused the Escalade to burst into flames. It likely was going 60 to 80 mph — close to the speed limit — when it was hit, head-on, by the pickup which may have been traveling at a similar speed. Information recovered from the vehicles that record crash data are expected to provide more answers. Police said the pickup was badly damaged but did not catch fire. The Arab-American family, which was put to rest after a two-hour service Tuesday morning inside one of America's most prominent mosques in Dearborn on Tuesday, has received an outpouring of anguish and support. Mourners solemnly lined up inside the Dearborn mosque to pay their respects. "It is a tragedy and it will deeply affect many people," Angel said, adding that police hope the investigation will offer insights to prevent future crashes. "It's just awful the amount of loss of life from a single incident." Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. Staff writers Bill Laitner and Niraj Warikoo contributed to this report. Louisville Courier Journal staff writer Billy Kobin also contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
A Northville family of five returning home from vacation was killed in a fiery crash when their SUV was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver on northbound I-75 early Sunday morning in Lexington, Kentucky. The Fayette County Coroner in Lexington, Kentucky, identified those killed as Issam Abbas, 42, his wife, Dr. Rima Abbas, 38, and their children: Ali, 14; Isabella, 13, and Giselle, 7. The coroner said the family was returning from a trip to Florida. Update: Family killed in I-75 crash had delayed trip because of grandmother death Also killed was the driver of the pickup truck that reportedly struck the Abbas' vehicle. The coroner identified him as Joey Lee Bailey, 41, of Georgetown, Kentucky, and said Bailey was believed to be driving under the influence. Toxicology results were pending Sunday afternoon. Bailey's vehicle was traveling south in the northbound lanes of I-75 when it struck the Abbas family's sport-utility vehicle. Rana Abbas Taylor, the sister of Dr. Rima Abbas, in a message to the Free Press Sunday night said: "We remain in shock and we are beyond devastated." She declined further comment. More:Michigan family of 5 killed in fiery crash to be laid to rest, community mourns Rima Abbas is listed as specializing in family medicine on Beaumont's website, practicing in the Beaumont Medical Center in Garden City. She is affiliated with Beaumont Wayne and Beaumont Dearborn. She graduated from Wayne State University's medical school in 2006. Issam was an attorney and real estate agent. "There is no way the family and our community can fathom this loss," said Fayez Faraj, who says he has been a close family friend for the past 25 years. "A beautiful family was senselessly taken away from us. The Abbas family was kind, loving, outgoing and generous. They raised three beautiful children who shared their parents love of life." A condolence service was held Sunday night at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn. Visitation will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, also at the center. The funeral is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The deaths drew an outpouring of anguish and support on social media. Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun, who also worked with Issam, took to Facebook to say: "I am at loss for words. There are no words to describe this tragedy. My friend and colleague and his wife and three children were killed in a fiery crash earlier today." Wayne County Executive Warren Evans also issued a statement on Facebook: "I am heartbroken by the news that Issam and Rima Abbas, along with their three children Ali, Isabella, and Giselle, were killed in a traffic crash this morning while traveling in Kentucky." Rima's office will be closed Monday and Beaumont is in the process of notifying her patients, the hospital said. “We are devastated by the tragic loss of Dr. Rima Abbas, her beloved husband and children," David Wood, Beaumont Health chief medical officer, said in a statement. "She was a caring mother and a dedicated family practice physician. Our hearts go out to all of her family, friends and patients during this difficult time." The crash occurred about 2:30 a.m., on I-75 about one mile before the Man o' War Blvd exit, Lexington police said in a press release. Just before the collision happened, several 9-1-1 calls were received about a white pickup truck traveling in the wrong direction in the northbound lanes. A preliminary investigation determined that the pickup truck hit an SUV head-on, causing the SUV to catch fire. Video posted by Lexington TV stations shows both cars engulfed in a raging fire. Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. Staff Writer Jennifer Dixon and Picture Editor Melanie Maxwell contributed to this report. More:Prisoners leave makeshift in bunks in apparent escape effort More:Police: Babysitter pretended baby was alive