St. Charles County, MO : Woman and her two young daughters die in a head-on crash on Highway 61 near Wentzville on Thursday morning, January 21, 2016

Woman and her two young daughters were killed and another woman was injured Thursday morning in a head-on crash on Highway 61 near Wentzville, police said.

Killed were Jacqueline H. Faudi, 36, and her daughters, Autumn J. Faudi, 6, and Kaydance M. Miller, 7 months.

Missouri Highway Patrol Cpl. Juston Wheetley, said the crash happened about 7:45 a.m. on Highway 61.

Wheetley said the crash was triggered when a northbound car whose driver said he hit a patch of ice, lost control and struck the rear of Faudi’s car, which also was northbound.

Both cars spun out of control and crossed the median into the southbound lanes, where Faudi’s car was struck by a southbound SUV.

Wheetley said Faudi and the older girl were pronounced dead at the scene.

He said the infant was taken to a hospital and died there.

The crash was near Highway W and North Pointe Prairie Road.

Highway 61 has two lanes in each direction separated by a grassy median.

The driver of the SUV — Brenda C. Colbert, 52, of Troy — was taken to a hospital with a moderate injury. The other driver, Brian M. Keiper, 42, of Troy, was not injured.

Wheetley said the patrol had yet to determine whether ice was a factor in the accident. The patrol said all victims were wearing seat belts or in child safety seats.

Robert Hall, Jacqueline H. Faudi’s father, said she was returning home at the time of the crash after dropping her boyfriend off at work in St. Charles, a trip she made regularly.

“She was the best mother you could ask for,” he said of his daughter. “If she had to beg, steal or borrow for her kids, she did.”

Hall said the tragedy comes as he and his wife are dealing with another disaster: flood damage that has made their Moscow Mills home temporarily unlivable.

“It’s just one hardship after another,” Hall, 61, said Thursday night.

Hall said his daughter had two other children, Jasmine Sharp, 20, and Victoria Naudi, 16.

Thursday night, the O'Fallon Fire Protection District posted on their Facebook page that one of their firefighters heading home after his shift was the first responder at the scene. "He acted heroically and did everything he could do. I can't tell you how proud we are to call you "brother" and admire your dedication and courage," said the post.

Source :

Woman and her two young daughters die in crossover St. Charles County crash