Five young girls left orphaned on Christmas Eve after mom's car got stuck on railroad tracks in Missouri
A Missouri mother of five was struck by a train and killed after her car got stuck on the tracks in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve.
Ashley Hogan, 35, was hit by a train just after 3:30 a.m. on December 24 when her car got stuck on the tracks near the intersection of James S. McDonnell Boulevard and Banshee Road in St. Louis.
The single mother was heading home from work at a nursing facility ready to shower her daughters, ages 15, 12, 11, 9 and 6, with the Christmas presents in the trunk of her car when the tragedy occurred.
'We know the vehicle traveled off the roadway for really an unknown reason became stuck in the gravel area beside the railroad tracks,' Missouri Highway Patrol Cpl. Dallas Thompson told First Alert 4.
Police said they are investigating how her car got on the tracks and if she experienced a medical episode before the train struck.
Hogan's 60-year-old mother, Vernadine Hogan, told the local news station the young mother's children were her whole world and she loved celebrating the holidays.
'She would always try to figure out what can I do to top the last Christmas, and unfortunately, that didn't happen this year,' Vernadine said.
'I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the reality of I no longer have my daughter, and they no longer have their mom.
Single mother of five Ashley Hogan, 35, was hit by a train and killed on her way home from work on Christmas Eve
Hogan was hit by a train just after 3:30 a.m. on December 24 when her car got stuck on the tracks near the intersection of James S. McDonnell Boulevard and Banshee Road in St. Louis
'Never in my wildest imagination thought that at my age I would be taken on raising five children and I am starting over from scratch.'
The young girls have moved in with the grandmother who launched a GoFundMe to help cover their needs and funeral expenses.
'She left behind five wonderful children that she loved and worked very hard for. They were her life and she was theirs, and now suddenly she's gone,' Vernadine said on the page.
Hogan's friend and high school classmate Ferguson Police Officer Andrae Spraggin launched a donation drive in coordination with the department to collect supplies for the girls.
'Her life revolved around her kids,' Spraggin told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 'When the accident happened, she had presents for them in the trunk. That's her. She's a great mom.'
The police department posted to Facebook informing the community they will be accepting donations at the station Monday through Friday.
'Ferguson family, one of our officers has suffered a great loss in the death of a dear family friend killed when a train hit her stranded vehicle on Christmas eve,' Ferguson Police said.
'The 35-year-old woman leaves 5 daughters behind. The children will now live with their grandmother who is on a fixed income. Help is surely needed.'
The single mother was heading home from work at a nursing facility ready to shower her daughters, ages 15, 12, 11, 9 and 6, with Christmas presents in the trunk of her car
Hogan's mother, Vernadine Hogan, said the young mother's children were her whole world and she loved celebrating the holidays
The young girls have moved in with the grandmother who launched a GoFundMe to help cover their needs and funeral expenses
Spraggin told First Alert 4 donations started pouring in before the official collection began.
'Ashley was a good person, a good friend and at this time her daughters are the most important thing in the world right now,' he said.
'We don't even officially start (collecting) until Monday and already we've received clothing and gift cards over the past weekend so the community has reached out and showed out.'
