Both parents and one of three children in a family of five from South Dakota are dead after their vehicle was struck by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 90 near Pipestone early Saturday morning. The driver of the vehicle traveling the wrong direction also died.
According to reports from the Associated Press and the Montana Standard, which cited Jefferson County Sheriff Craig Doolittle, as well as an online fundraiser established for the family, the related victims were 32-year-old Drew Hoefert, 37-year-old Jennifer Hoefert and their daughter, 14-year-old Abby Vitek. The Hoefert’s two younger children, 8-year-old daughter Blayre and 2-year-old son Cooper, survived but are hospitalized with injuries from the collision.
Also killed in the crash was 45-year-old Adrian Hollis from Spokane, Washington.
It was unclear why Hollis was travelling eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-90 about a mile west of the Pipestone exit, heading downhill from Homestake Pass, around 5 a.m. Saturday, but authorities believe he was driving while intoxicated, the AP reported.
A GoFundMe page was established for the family, who were headed to Idaho for vacation. It had raised $70,675 of a $75,000 goal by Monday evening.
