In Idaho, a teenager, her father, and her two younger siblings lost their lives in a car crash. Police believe the teenage driver dozed off while driving and veered off a cliff.
Calvin Miller, 36, and his children – 17-year-old Dakota, Jack, 10, and 8-year-old Delilah – were visiting their ill grandfather when the accident happened. Their car plunged 30 feet into the Salmon River near the city of Riggins.
On Wednesday, police confirmed that the accident was likely due to Dakota falling asleep at the wheel. The family had been on a long, 274-mile journey from their home in Spokane, Washington, to Council, Idaho, which might have contributed to Dakota’s fatigue.
The police report indicates that the car hit a large pile of rocks, which sent it airborne. It then struck another pile of rocks, causing the car to flip over and land upside down in the river. A local fisherman discovered the partially submerged vehicle. The police suspect that the family members likely drowned.
Zella Blair, the mother of Jack and Delilah and Miller’s ex-spouse, expressed her deep sorrow over the devastating news. She shared her grief over the absence of her children’s cheerful voices in the house. The children were her whole world, she said, and she’s grappling with the sudden loss.
Blair revealed that she had dropped Jack and Delilah off on Friday to spend the weekend with their father. She was not aware of Miller’s plan to visit their grandfather. It was Amberlynn Weber, Miller’s current partner, who informed Blair about the tragic incident.