On Dec. 17, 2021, a Louisiana family of nine children became a family of six children after a drunken driver traveling on the wrong side of the highway plowed into their vehicle as they drove home from a basketball game that Friday evening.
Dawn Simmons and her three youngest children — Lindy Simmons, 20; Christopher Simmons, 17; and Kamryn Simmons, 15; along with Christopher's girlfriend — were driving south on Interstate 49 at 9 p.m. when John "Chris" Lundy, who was driving under the influence in the opposite direction, crashed head-on into their car.
All three Simmons kids and Lundy were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital after the fatal crash. Lundy's blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit to drive, Louisiana State Police said after the crash.
"Raising nine kids — it was always very lively and a place full of laughter," Dawn Simmons told Fox News Digital of her home prior to the crash. "And now when I go home, it's truly like my house has lost its soul. The silence is so loud. It is so loud. When I tell you every aspect of our lives … are touched in some kind of way by their loss. It affects us daily."
Her daughter, Katie DeRouen, said her mother went from working "six days a week as a mail carrier" with four of nine children still living at home to a retired empty-nester overnight.
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"It's been the most challenging and most difficult human experience that I've ever had," Simmons said.
In the months and years since the crash that completely altered the Simmons family's universe, DeRouen has taken to TikTok and Instagram to share her siblings' story.
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Her account has since gone viral. A video she posted on July 5 showing how her father has been grieving the loss of his three youngest children has received nearly 18 million views on the social media app.
After the crash, the Simmons family got access to the contents of the kids' phones and found over 55,000 pictures and videos — most of which were captured by Lindy, the photographer of the family. Lindy attended Nicholls State University and had plans to become the school's official campus photographer just before she died, Simmons said.
DeRouen is now showcasing those photos on social media to keep Lindy's, Christopher's and Kamryn's memories alive and in the news. They are also working to spread awareness about the dangers of drunken driving, which go much father beyond a person's fears of "getting caught" by law enforcement, Simmons said.
"I think when they see that three young, beautiful kids all passed away at the same time, and they left their mom behind, that doesn't happen often. And I think it hits them as a shock," DeRouen said.
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She added that she thinks her videos open people's eyes about the reality of drunken driving.
"The guy who did this to my siblings — he didn't wake up and choose to go murder three kids that day. But that's what he did. And I think it just opens people's eyes to the reality that they could be the person that would do that to a family if they choose to drink and drive," she said.
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Dawn Simmons agreed, saying she thinks the people who view their videos online can see their own children and siblings in Lindy, Christopher and Kamryn.
"This is real. It's not about just getting caught. Like, this is the reality. Our crash occurred at 9:01. So, at 9:01, these kids are here. At 9:02, they're not. You can't go back and say, 'Oh, I'm sorry. I wish I would have. I should have [done] this.' It's over. Once these things are done, there's no going back. And that is our reality until we take our last breath," she said.
Simmons suggested that people "make a plan" to get home after a night of drinking before consuming alcohol.
"Make decisions ahead of time, plan ahead, figure out what you need to do to not get behind the wheel intoxicated. It's not worth it," she said.
The Simmons family has organized a nonprofit called Simmons 3 that aims to spread awareness about the impacts of impaired driving in schools across Louisiana; the family hopes they can expand the organization nationally.
