Hello, I am a family friend, after learning this horrific news, I wanted to help them by creating this Go Fund Me Page.   There are no words to fully describe this unimaginable tragedy that has happened to this wonderful family.  I just learned that early yesterday, Saturday, October 17, 2020, that friends of ours were involved in a horrific traffic accident caused by a drunk driver.  Their father, Sam Homant, and their stepmother Melissa, are so distraught, it’s difficult to communicate and to describe the pain and overwhelming grief they are feeling.  Sam had two sweet, darling children, Zachary &amp; Lili Homant, ages 12 years and 8 years old..  They live full-time with their dad, Sam and Melissa (their stepmother) in Vista, California.  Due to the pandemic the kids have been homeschooled by Melissa. They wanted to visit their maternal grandmother in Ohio, Carol Jones Hickman .  Sam let them take a short break from their schooling to travel to Ohio with their mother Laura Jones, (Sam’s ex) to visit their Grandma Carol.  They called their dad everyday from Ohio and shared their fun experiences, and were anxious to get back to their dad, and see their friends.   They were great kids, Zach loved video games and was very good at them.  The last time they visited me, about 2 months ago, Zach had grown many inches taller.  He beat me easily at darts.  Lili loved anything pink and purple, her bike, and they both loved going to the beach as a family.  After a 2-week visit in Ohio, their Grandma Carol was making the long drive from Ohio back to Vista, California with them.   Grandma Carol was driving, and Zach was in the front seat, (probably called shotgun.)  Lili and her mom Laura in the backseat.  The information I’ve learned,  is that  an allegedly drunk driver was driving on the wrong side of Interstate 40, going Eastbound in the Westbound lanes for over 10 miles according to police reports, and 911 callers and collided head on with Sam’s family.  Their cars burst into flames, and Zach, Carol and Laura died at the scene and Lili died enroute to the hospital.  All four are gone, forever!    The driver who hit them is in critical condition (upgraded to stable) in the hospital, as of this posting on the internet Oct.17, 2020 at 5:09 PM. (If confused, the article below is asking where the driver was before the accident occurred.) The news article, Koco News 5 abc by Koco Staff “CANADIAN COUNTY, Okla. —Four people, including a juvenile, were killed in a wrong-way, head-on crash on I-40 early Saturday morning near El Reno, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.  The crash was reported just after 1:30 a.m. on I-40 westbound, about 3.5 miles west of El Reno, OHP officials said. A 2017 Jeep Renegade, driven by 33-year-old Ashley Louise Ricks from Moore, was going eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-40 when it collided head-on with a 2003 Hyundai going westbound, troopers said. After the crash, the Jeep Renegade ran off the road and overturned. The Hyundai went into the center median and caught fire. The driver and three passengers, including a juvenile female, died, according to the OHP. The driver of the Jeep Renegade was taken to OU Medical Center in critical condition. The cause of the collision is under investigation. The identities of those who died have not been released, pending official identification by the medical examiner.  Investigators are looking into the possibility that Ricks was impaired, according to the OHP.  Officials said 911 calls show she was driving the wrong way on I-40 for more than 10 miles. Anyone with information on Ricks' whereabouts Friday night is asked to call the OHP Central Communications Center at 405-42_ _ _ _ <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/four-people-killed-in-wrong-way-crash-on-i-40-near-el-reno-ohp-officials-say/34403789" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">4 People killed in fiery head on crash caused by drunk driver</a> <img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51973504_1603018339105084_r.jpeg" alt="51973504_1603018339105084_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51973504_1603018387627120_r.jpeg" alt="51973504_1603018387627120_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51973504_1603018402305485_r.jpeg" alt="51973504_1603018402305485_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51973504_1603018421176448_r.jpeg" alt="51973504_1603018421176448_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51973504_1603018455172792_r.jpeg" alt="51973504_1603018455172792_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" /><img src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/51973504_1603018489892908_r.jpeg" alt="51973504_1603018489892908_r.jpeg" width="100%" media_type="3" />  It is impossible to comprehend the grief their father Sam, and his extended family are dealing with.  They do not belong to a church, as far as I know.  Sam and Melissa reached out to me to help them, because they need to have their beloved children brought home to Vista, California for burial and a service. They asked me to help in anyway I could.  I know that Sam works hard as a General Contractor, but with the pandemic, work is sparse and  has no money in savings.  I looked into bereavement airfares, and funeral home expenses, and transportation from out of state.  The expenses can range from $1000 to $20,000 per person, depending on the details.  I know they need the funds as soon as possible, and will be dealing with funeral homes in both states.  He has made arrangements with family members to bring all four back together, and they will be laid to rest together. Our hopes are this fund will pay for the costs to bring his family home from Oklahoma, and burial expenses.   I know right now, they can’t eat or sleep.  They can’t look at the kid’s bedrooms and belongings.  I can’t even imagine my whole reason for living, my entire family gone in an instant.  The children had such bright futures.  I had only met Laura a few times and didn't know Carol, her mom.  I'm sure their deaths will devastate many family members and friends also.  How to navigate life after this is hard to fathom. I am praying that putting this out into the world, even with all the tragedy and deaths this year from the Corona Covid virus, that you may find it in your heart to help this devastated family.  Thank you for holding Zach, Lili, Laura and Carol in your prayers, and prayers for Sam and Melissa and the families and friends of Zach, Lili, Carol and Laura.  This is a senseless tragedy, and heartbreaking.  The driver who made the horrible decision to drive, should be in jail for the rest of her life. Thank you for any contributions you can make to this burial fund, for this grieving father, Sam Homant,  to lay his children to rest.    If you can't contribute, please send prayers and share this page with your friends or contacts. Organizer, Jean Ball, family friend, Vista, California. The first picture posted includes the entire family was posted on Facebook August 5, 2016.  The next pictures of Zach and Lili are more recent.  The last photo with their dad was posted in 2017.

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Driver charged Headon  DUI 4 deaths, Homant family

Driver charged Headon DUI 4 deaths, Homant family

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