Jessica Noel Viola Kansas mother & four of her five children killed in Sedgwick County crash after semitrailer fails to stop at stop sign, crashing into family’s SUV. No charges filed.
A Kansas mother-of-five and four of her children were killed after crashing into a semitrailer that ran a stop sign in southwest Sedgwick County last week according to authorities.
Jessica ‘Tess’ Noel, 32, of Viola, was driving her white Ford Expedition on 263rd Street shortly before 5pm when authorities say the driver of a loaded grain truck failed to stop at a stop sign while headed east on 71 Street South.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said the Expedition struck the trailer, causing it to split into two pieces, killing Noel and three of her four children traveling instantly the Wichita Eagle reports.
Jessica Noel and three of her children, identified as Anaiah Brady, 10, Jeffrey Thompson III, four, and four-month-old Hank Thompson all died at the scene. Another child, 23-month-old Mack Thompson, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The driver of the semi-trailer, a 31 year old Argonia man walked away from the crash without any injuries. As of Monday morning, he has not been charged in connection to the deadly crash.
Sole surviving child, 10 year old
Noel’s husband learned of the tragedy when he rushed to the scene of the crash near their home.
‘My heart and my family are broken over the loss of my sister-in-law and my four nieces and nephews,’ Noel’s brother-in-law said in a statement to KSN. ‘There are just no words….Thank you to ever who has reached out by email, text, or otherwise. We are taking it one day at a time.’
Meanwhile, Noel’s niece has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her husband, Jeffrey Williams, and their sole surviving 10-year-old child.
According to the fundraiser, on Friday afternoon, Noel had loaded four of her five children into her SUV and headed to a grocery store.
Youngest child had clung to life before eventually succumbing to injuries
When her husband came home from work and found that his wife and children were not there, he became concerned.
A short time later, her got a call from a friend alerting him to an accident that occurred not far from their home.
Williams rushed to the intersection of 263rd Street and 71 Street South, and learned of the deadly crash that killed four of the five occupants of his wife’s SUV. He was then directed to Wesley Medical Center, where his youngest child was clinging to life.
‘Twenty-three-month-old Mack fought hard but succumbed to his injuries on September 26th, 2020,’ read the description.
As of Monday, the campaign has drawn more than $63,429 worth of donations to help the grieving husband with his family’s medical and funeral expenses.