Tragedy struck in Idaho when a teenage girl likely fell asleep while driving, causing an accident that claimed her life and those of her father and two siblings on Saturday, June 10.
The incident took place when divorced father Calvin Miller, 36, was taking his three children, Dakota, 17, Jack, 10, and Delilah, 8, to visit their grandfather who was in hospice care. Their vehicle veered off the road, plummeting 30 feet into the Salmon River near Riggins.
Authorities have confirmed that the accident was likely caused by fatigue from Dakota, who had been driving the 274-mile journey from their home in Spokane, Washington, to Council, Idaho. According to the incident report, Dakota lost control of the vehicle, hitting a pile of rocks that sent the car airborne. A second collision with a pile of rocks caused the vehicle to flip over and land upside down in the river.
Local fishermen discovered the partially submerged vehicle, leading police to believe the family likely drowned. Zella Blair, Miller’s ex-wife and mother of Jack and Delilah, expressed her deep grief over the devastating news. Blair, who shared custody of the children with Miller, was shocked by the tragedy, having dropped off her children with Miller on Friday, unaware of their plans to visit their sick grandfather.
