Accident on Wax Road Claims Innocent Victim

Emily Simmers, Age 10, Passed Away after Truck Hit Car at High School

CENTRAL — On Monday morning, a routine trip to take the kids to school ended in life-changing tragedy.  Around 6:30 a.m., Mary Simmers, 48, dropped off her son Ethan at Central High School and prepared to turn onto Wax Road.

Mary’s daughter Emily was sitting in the back seat on the passenger side with her seat belt on, ready to go on to Central Intermediate, where she was a student.  It was a hazy morning.  Mary said she looked both ways and then began to pull onto Wax Road.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a pickup truck hit her car on the left front headlights.  She said the pickup truck didn’t have its lights on and she never saw it.

Ethan heard the crash and was soon at the car to help his mother out.  Her only concern was Emily.

In the backseat, Emily was slumped over, unconscious.  When EMS arrived, they did chest compressions.  They rushed her to Lane Regional where her conditions were stabilized.  Then she was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake.

At the Lake, Emily had no brain activity, no sign of anything.  She was kept on life support until Wednesday when all hope was gone.

Emily is an organ donor, and funeral services were delayed.  They will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at Life Tabernacle on Hooper Road.

Young Emily had no apparent injuries, only a cut above her eyelid.  Apparently, she received a blow to the head as the car swirled around, which led to swelling of the brain.

Emily’s mother is heart-broken, as is her father, Scott Simmers, who is taking it very hard.

Emily’s sister, Candice Hughes, said Sunday night Emily snuggled with her dad and asked him to brush her hair.  They stayed up most of the night talking, even though it was a school night.

“It’s as though she sensed something,” Candice said.

“A lot of days, she tries to talk her way into staying home from school, but on Monday she was calm and good.  She offered no excuses about going to school at all,” she said.

Mary Simmers works at the cafeteria at Central Middle School.  Emily’s dad works at a mechanic shop.  The couple has four children — Emily, Ethan, 17, Jessie Shelton, and Candice Hughes.

Candice said that Emily is a perfect organ donor, because of her age and lack of injuries.  They expect that all of her organs will be donated, except her eyes.

Candice said the driver of the pickup truck was also heartbroken.  He called to apologize and said he was praying for Emily and the family.  He was reportedly driving a burgundy Chevrolet pickup truck.  It is too early for investigators to determine whether anyone was at fault in the accident.

The driver of the truck suffered a shattered knee, Candice said.

Wax Road is a narrow, two-lane road without shoulders and often with deep dropoffs next to the road.