Viral video of Acadiana siblings killed by drunken driver is raising awareness about driving safety (2024)

The video posted on June 5 starts with text overlaid on a happy scene: “Watch how a drunk driver changed our lives in an instant.”

The post from New Iberia resident Katie DeRouen has garnered 30 million views on TikTok and is raising awareness about the consequences of drunken driving as DeRouen and her mother, Dawn Simmons, share a glimpse of the loss they suffered when Simmons’s three youngest children – Lindy, Christopher and Kamryn – were killed in a crash with a drunken driver in December 2021.

The video cuts from sweet moments of the siblings and their mother hugging, dancing, taking photos, shopping and doing everyday things to Simmons cleaning her children’s joint grave at Beau Pre’ Memorial Park in Jeanerette.

@katiederouen1 Grief is love with no where to go. On December 17, 2021 at 9:00 pm, our lives were full of joy and normalcy. At 9:01, that was gone. The decision of one man changed so many lives. He can’t take it back. It’s permanent. What could be worth this? Three lives stolen and couness others forever changed. #dontdrinkanddrive #drunkdrivervictims #drunkdrivingawareness #traumatok #traumatic #lck #simmons3 #griefandloss #youshouldbehere #lindy #christopher #kamryn ♬ Lights Are On

Lindy, 20; Christopher, 17; and Kamryn, 15, died after colliding head-on with 54-year-old John Lundy of Dallas, Georgia, on Interstate 49 on Dec. 17, 2021, Louisiana State Police said. Lundy had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit when he crashed into the family’s vehicle while driving the wrong way on the interstate. Dawn Simmons and Christopher’s girlfriend were also in the vehicle but survived the crash.

Christopher and Kamryn died at different area hospitals, while Lindy died at the scene, the family said.

Videos like the June 5 post are one avenue the family is using to channel their pain into purposeful action.

They’ve also fundraised for improvements to Acadiana Christian School, partnered with Sudden Impact Louisiana on presentations to educate about responsible driving and launched a foundation in the siblings’ memory, Simmons3.

To read more about the Simmons family, see previous Acadiana Advocate reporting below: