Wisconsin Family Mourns Loss of Father of Seven Killed in Tragic Crash While Battling Cancer
MADISON, WI – A Wisconsin family is reeling after the sudden and heartbreaking loss of a devoted husband and father of seven, Derrick Allen, who died following a car crash on Madison’s north side earlier this week. He was 48.
Allen was struck by a vehicle on Monday while crossing the intersection of Northport Drive and Kennedy Road, a place he likely passed many times during his daily walks. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday after being declared brain dead, his wife LaToya Moss confirmed.
The family’s grief is compounded by the fact that Allen had already been courageously fighting for his life. Diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer five years ago, Allen had been in an ongoing battle against the aggressive disease, which had metastasized to several parts of his body. According to LaToya, while his health was fragile, no one imagined that a tragic accident would end his life so abruptly.
“Knowing that he had cancer, we thought that that was the way my husband was going to go,” Moss said. “Not knowing that we were going to have a tragic incident walking through a crosswalk, right?”
A Warrior in Every Sense
Despite the advanced cancer diagnosis, Allen never gave up hope. LaToya says her husband fought with his mind, body, and spirit. He found strength in holistic practices, studying healing methods, reading voraciously, and practicing Reiki. After cancer forced him to leave his job at Monona Terrace, Allen reinvented himself as a Reiki practitioner and turned to nature, meditation, and sound healing for peace and strength.
“He journeyed and scowled through books. He liked to do sound meditation and healing and go on walks,” LaToya said. “He lived intentionally, even in the pain.”
His walks, often quiet, meditative, and filled with thought, were part of how he coped with both his illness and life’s weight. On the day of the accident, Allen was reportedly bringing food to one of his children and visiting a relative who lived nearby. LaToya was on her way to pick them up when she received a call from a concerned community member that would shatter her world.
“I went to the hospital and met the ambulance there and met the doctor with some large news, life-changing news, that affects seven children,” she said.
Doctors gave the family 72 hours in hopes of a miracle. But CT scans revealed devastating internal trauma and a complete absence of brain activity.
“There was no fighting chance,” Moss said. “The impact of that car did the damage, and what we now have is that my husband is no longer on this side of the Earth.”
Searching for Answers and Healing
As the family prepares to say goodbye, many questions remain unanswered. Moss said that police have informed her the full report on the crash could take weeks or even months to complete. The identity of the driver, she said, has not yet been shared with her.
Still, in the face of immeasurable loss, Moss says she harbors no anger.
“I send positive energy to that person,” she said. “This was life-changing for him and his family as well.”
Her grace and compassion in the face of grief reflect the spirit of the man she loved and the life they built together. The couple shared seven children, with the youngest just four years old. Allen was a hands-on father, deeply present in his children’s lives despite his illness.
A Call for Safer Roads and Greater Awareness
Now, LaToya is calling for change—more than just answers. She hopes that her husband’s tragic death brings awareness to pedestrian safety, improved traffic measures, and an end to the kind of loss her family is now enduring.
“Hopefully, Monday was the last day that this happened to someone,” she said. “That tremendously impacts two families.”
A memorial service is currently being planned in Allen’s honor, where loved ones will gather to celebrate a life of quiet strength, fierce love, and spiritual resilience.
Derrick Allen’s story is one of a fighter who walked his path with dignity and heart, and whose life touched many. Though cancer could not defeat him, a tragic accident cut short the time he had left—a cruel twist in an already painful journey. But in sharing his story, his family hopes to light a path forward, so that his death may inspire change, compassion, and a renewed urgency for safer communities.