More than a month after a devastating crash in Palm Beach County claimed the lives of nine members of a Connecticut family, tragedy has struck once again. Antoinette Edwards, a grieving family member, has been struggling to process the immense loss. “I’m numb.
“I’m numb most of the time. People are talking to me, I can’t concentrate,” she shared, reflecting on the overwhelming grief that has consumed her over the past six weeks. “This is a shock. And the family is like, their heart can’t take it,” she added.
The terrifying accident occurred on August 5 when the family’s SUV went off the road and plunged into a canal near Belle Glade, Florida. The victims included Pamela Wiggins, 57 (the driver), Leiana Alyse Hall, 30, Anyia Monique Lee Tucker, 21, Michael Anthony Hall Jr., 14, Imani Andre Ajani Hall, 8, Kamdien Edwards and Yasire Smith, 5, Ziaire Mack, 3, and Naleia Tucker, 1, according to the report. NBC 6.
The only survivor was Jorden Hall, 26, who the family said desperately tried to rescue the others but was unable to save them. Among the victims was Antianette’s son, Kamdien Edwards-Raynor, her only child. Reflecting on the loss, she said through tears: “He was fun. He was a daredevil even though he was little… I just lay in bed, crying and crying until I fell asleep. And it was 6 in the morning. I cried myself to sleep.”
As Antoinette dealt with the grief of losing her son and eight other family members, she received another devastating call. On Sept. 10, her 42-year-old sister, Andrea Edwards, passed away, adding to the family’s already unimaginable grief. “We just lost nine people. And then we lose another one on top of that,” Antoinette said.
The family believes Andrea died from complications related to a seizure, but Antianette believes it was the result of a broken heart. Two of the nine victims of the crash were Andrea’s daughter, Anyia, 21, and her one-year-old granddaughter, Naleia. “She said she was heartbroken… She didn’t know how to deal with reality,” Antoinette recalled.
Now, after three funerals in just a few weeks, the family is preparing for the fourth. They have organized a GoFundMe to help cover Andrea’s funeral costs. “It’s too much. It’s too much,” Antoinette said, reflecting on the overwhelming burden of loss her family continues to face.