A 29-year-old father has passed away alongside his 9-month-old baby girl in a multiple car pile-up that also took the lives of eight children.
Firefighter Cody Fox and his daughter Ariana were in one of the 15 vehicles that crashed in Alabama. The father died at the scene and Ariana was rushed to a hospital where she passed away.
Cody’s fiancée Hayle Anderson was also in the car when the tragic incident occurred but is expected to make a full recovery.
Cody was the fire chief at New Hope Volunteer Fire Department in Tennessee.
A tribute shared on social media read: “Cody was an integral part of the EMA staff in Marion County, always ready, always willing to serve.
“His upbeat attitude, his willingness to learn, and without a doubt the politest young man I have ever known, will be greatly missed.”
According to reports, eight foster children, aged 4 to 17, were on the way home from a vacation in Gulf Springs when they were killed in the collision.
Butler County Coroner Wayne Garlock said the driver of the Girls Ranch bus was rescued by a witness and attempted to return to the vehicle to save the children. However, the bus had been quickly consumed by fire.
Four of the victims were teenagers who went to Reelstown High School.
One girl who lived with them at the foster ranch paid a heartfelt tribute to her friends, saying: “When people hear about the ranch, they usually assume that the girls have done something wrong or bad to get there. But that’s not the case.
“These girls have been through so much, and they were such strong, wonderful, kind family members and it was my privilege and my honor to be their big sister.”
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