Engaged Louisiana Couple Die in Separate Crashes, Leaving Behind 4-Year-Old Son

A Louisiana couple set to marry in early 2026 died just hours apart in separate tragic crashes on Friday (May 16), leaving behind a young son

According to WAFB, 25-year-old Alexus Lee was killed around 2:00 a.m. in a single-vehicle crash on LA 67 near Lemon Road in East Baton Rouge Parish. According to Louisiana State Police, Lee was driving a 2013 Toyota Highlander when, for reasons still under investigation, she veered off the road, hit a culvert, and overturned. She was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene.

Just over an hour later, her fiancé, 35-year-old John “JR” Collins, died in a separate crash while driving to the scene of Lee’s accident. Police say Collins was traveling at a high rate of speed in a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro on LA 67 near Idlewild Road in East Feliciana Parish when he lost control, struck a tree, and was ejected from the vehicle. He was also unrestrained and pronounced dead on scene.

The couple had recently purchased a home together and were planning to get married in February 2026. They leave behind their 4-year-old son, Gabriel.

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“He understands what happened, and he’s just having a little problem comprehending that we can’t talk to them,” Collins’ mother, Sandra, told WAFB. “We can’t see them, but he understands that they are asleep and are with God.”

Lee was a Southern University graduate and a teacher at East Feliciana STEAM Academy. Collins was a truck driver with a passion for sports cars.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, East Feliciana Public Schools honored Lee as a beloved educator and community member.

Both crashes remain under investigation. Toxicology samples were collected as part of standard procedure.