A Georgia highway became the site of an unspeakable tragedy when a young mother and her four children perished in a violent collision last weekend. Reagan Dougan, 27, was traveling with her infant, two preschoolers, and elementary-aged son when their SUV slammed into another vehicle, hit a guardrail, and erupted in flames.
The family had rented the Jeep Cherokee in Raleigh for what should have been a joyful visit to Florida relatives. Instead, the trip ended in catastrophe near McIntosh County around 6 a.m. Sunday. While the other driver survived, emergency responders couldn’t save Reagan or her children from the burning wreckage.
Neighbors in Raleigh, where the family had recently moved, describe an always-smiling mother whose children brought energy to their quiet street. “You’d hear them laughing outside every afternoon,” recalled one neighbor. The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of support, including a rapidly-growing memorial fund to help the grieving father with funeral arrangements.
As investigators work to determine the crash’s cause, friends cling to memories of Reagan’s infectious positivity and the bright futures cut tragically short.
