Tragedy on Plank Road: Two Louisiana Families Mourn Engaged Couple Killed Hours Apart in Separate Crashes
In a heartbreaking twist of fate, two Louisiana families are reeling from an unimaginable loss after a young couple—bound by love, parenthood, and a future they were excitedly building together—were killed just hours apart in separate car accidents on the same early morning.
Alexus Lee, 25, and John “JR” Collins, 35, were not just partners—they were soulmates, joined in life and dreams. They had recently taken a major step toward their shared future, purchasing a new home and planning a wedding for February 2026. Their journey, filled with promise, ended in devastating tragedy in the early hours of Friday morning.
According to the Louisiana State Police, it was shortly after 2 a.m. when Alexus lost control of her SUV on Plank Road in Zachary. The vehicle veered off the road, crashed into a culvert, and overturned. Alexus was pronounced dead at the scene. She had not been wearing a seat belt.
News of the crash traveled quickly. Investigators reached out to JR Collins to inform him of the fatal accident. Stricken with grief and desperate to reach the scene, JR got into his car and began the drive. Tragically, he never made it. Around 3:45 a.m.—less than two hours after his fiancée’s fatal crash—JR lost control of his vehicle on Plank Road just outside of Clinton. His car struck a tree, and he was ejected from the vehicle. Like Alexus, he too was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene.
The dual loss has left their families shattered, struggling to comprehend how so much love and potential could be taken in the span of a few dark, cruel hours.
“I love them. I’m gonna miss both of them, and I’m gonna find the strength to go ahead,” said Arthur Collins, JR’s father, his voice heavy with pain but also with resolve to carry forward in honor of his son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
The families remember Alexus and JR as people whose lives were marked by ambition, generosity, and profound love for one another.
Alexus, a recent graduate of Southern University, had begun her career as an educator at East Feliciana STEAM Academy. Passionate about education and driven by a desire to give back to her community, she was already making a difference in the lives of young students.
JR, a hardworking truck driver, had a deep love for sports cars and was known for his charismatic spirit. He had a wide circle of friends and was admired for his loyalty and big heart.
“He loved Alexus, as well as everybody else who knew her. To know her was to love her,” said Sandra Collins, JR’s mother. She and her husband spoke through tears, holding hands tightly as they recalled the intensity of the couple’s love and the joy that Alexus brought into their family.
For Dominque Lee, Alexus’ sister, the grief is overwhelming. “Losing Alexus just different. It was a different feeling, and it’s like I know a part of me gone,” she said. Her words echo the deep sense of absence felt by those who loved the couple.
Now, amidst the sorrow, a new responsibility unites the grieving families—the care of Gabriel, the couple’s 4-year-old son. Gabriel is described as a bright, sensitive child who is beginning to grasp the enormity of his loss in the only way a young heart can.
“He’s just having a little problem comprehending that we can’t talk to them. We can’t see them, but he understands that they are asleep and are with God,” said Sandra Collins. “The two families will blend, and we will do whatever it takes to give him a good life.”
Dominque Lee added, “I know they left here knowing their child is in good hands, for sure.”
On Wednesday morning, a joint celebration of life will be held to honor both Alexus and JR. It is a final tribute to a couple whose story ended far too soon but whose legacy of love, resilience, and family will endure.
As state police continue to investigate the circumstances of both accidents, their message is a solemn reminder: seat belts save lives. Though no measure of precaution could undo this tragic chain of events, the hope is that others may be spared such pain through greater awareness.
In the aftermath of these twin tragedies, the Collins and Lee families are left to pick up the pieces, bound together not only by loss but also by love—the same love that Alexus and JR shared and passed down to their son. It is a love that, even in death, remains alive.