A 4-year-old girl who died of her injuries Friday after a tractor-trailer rig slammed into four vehicles at an intersection on U.S. 30 in northwest Fort Wayne has been identified.
Abigail Marie Little of Albion died at a city hospital, and five others who were injured were taken to local hospitals.
The crash happened about 3:20 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 30 and Kroemer Road, near the Sweetwater Sound headquarters.
Witnesses told police the four vehicles that were struck – a Ford pickup, a Chevrolet pickup, a Mercury sport utility vehicle and a Pontiac minivan – had been in the right lane of westbound U.S. 30, waiting at a red light.
Witnesses reported that the rig, going west in the same lane, did not slow down before rear-ending the line of vehicles, just after the light had turned green, police said.
The girl who was killed and another small child were riding in the minivan, which was at the end of the line of waiting vehicles. The rig struck the minivan first, crumpling its back half, according to an earlier story in The Journal Gazette.
Debris from the crash – including children’s toys, parts of vehicles and potted plants – was scattered throughout the intersection.
The crash remains under investigation. The truck driver was taken to a hospital to be tested for drugs and alcohol, a standard procedure in fatal crashes, police said Friday.
Abigail’s death is the 25th traffic fatality for Fort Wayne and Allen County in 2012.
She is the daughter of Anthony Charles and Ashley Marie (Green) Little.
The funeral service will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church, 204 N. Main St., Columbia City, with visitation after 9:30 a.m., according to the obituary. Visitation will also be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City.
The family asks that memorials be made to the Abigail Marie Little Scholarship Fund. Condolences may be sent to www.smithandsonsfuneralhome.com.
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