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MANCHAC — After 20 years, Donna Matthews of LaPlace has finally worked up the courage to visit the site of the tragic vehicular accident that claimed her grandmother’s life while the family was en route to her mother’s funeral.
The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office will lead a procession that will leave from the Shell gas station on U.S. 51 at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Police will guide the family up I-55 to the site of the fatal accident, just past the Manchac exit and the Tangipahoa Parish line. There, family members will pray and leave live flowers to pay respect to two loved ones lost far too soon. The memorial also reignites a cry for justice that gone unanswered for the past 20 years.
The fatal car accident on Jan. 22, 2000 took the lives of Jane Francis Reaux, 66, and another loved one whose name is being withheld out of respect for her immediate family members. For Donna, the day was a nightmare come to life and a sight she can never forget.
Donna’s mother, Diane Matthews, passed away on Jan. 16, 2000 at age 49, and her services were held in her hometown at Parson Hill Baptist Church in Liberty, Mississippi.
Donna’s cousin, Sharita Reaux, lived with their grandmother. Jane Reaux was wheel chair bound, but she was insistent about attending her daughter’s funeral in Mississippi at any cost. The family respected her wishes and rented a wheelchair accessible van.
“My grandmother never left home, but she was determined to go to my Aunt Diane’s funeral,” Sharita said. “I was there that morning, and I begged her not to go, but of course she didn’t listen because that’s who she was. My now-husband helped with getting her into the van, and I stood there until they left. I prayed for a safe return because I needed her. We needed her.”
Sharita’s last words to her grandmother were, “Be careful, and I love you.” She had no idea Jane would never return home.
As the procession of more than 40 cars left LaPlace and headed up I-55, one family member experienced a flat tire at the worst possible time. They pulled their car to the shoulder, and everyone else in the procession followed suit.
Jane was in the back seat of a van that held three other passengers. The van was originally the last in the procession. However, once everyone pulled to the side, the van pulled to the front, leaving enough space for two or three cars to park behind.
Looking back, Donna thinks it must have been God’s mysterious plan for the van to pull forward and leave just enough space for a reckless driver to swerve to the side and strike the van from behind.
Donna was out of her car and beside the van moments before the crash. Everything was normal in that instant, and then everything changed.
“I got something out of her bag and literally walked one, not even two cars away when I looked up, and the people in the back hollered, ‘Watch out!’” Donna said. “Before we could turn around, the driver came in between the two cars and hit her van. He could’ve hit all of those people. He could’ve hit me. He missed all of us, and all I could do was turn and see the white eagle smoke. The smoke lifted, and you saw what you saw.”
Helicopters landed on the Interstate to help retrieve the occupants from the car. Other motorists on the highway left their vehicles to stop traffic and assist the family. One family member in the van had died upon impact. Jane was still alive at the scene, but she succumbed to her injuries later that day.
It’s been 20 years, and the family has no idea what charges the driver who caused the accident has faced. Lawyers have told Donna the case is still open in the Tangipahoa Parish judicial system, though years have passed since the last court date.
“My grandmother was a nurse back in her day,” Donna said. “The way she was taken away from us was unjustified. There are people driving over the speed limit and causing accidents where people lose their lives. Where is the justice for them? No one can speak for them. They are just sitting there on the side of the road, and somebody just takes them away.”
Saturday will be a day of remembrance for the 20th anniversary of the accident. Attendees are welcome to wear joyful Mardi Gras colors and bring live flowers to honor the departed.
Sharita remembers her grandmother as a beautiful, sweet and caring person who served as the backbone of the family. Losing her felt like a chain had been broken, and the family could never reconnect the same way they had before.
Jane enjoyed eating seafood, especially crawfish, and listening to music. In her eyes, her grandchildren could do no wrong.
“She didn’t have many friends because her family was her top priority,” Sharita said. “Even though she couldn’t walk, she did her best to keep our family in line. She never met a stranger because she welcomed anyone in her home. She never refused a passerby something to eat or drink. Her heart was pure. She was genuine. She was our everything!”