An 8-year-old Texas girl, Autumn Rain Ales, tragically lost her life after she was ejected from a vehicle her father was driving. Reportedly, the dad had to veer his vehicle to avoid hitting a wild animal in the roadway.
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As reported by the Abilene Reporter News, citing a media release issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the incident occurred at around 1:35 a.m. on Friday, October 3.
At the time, Shawn Cleve Ales, 39, was driving his 2008 Hyundai Accent on FM 1849, east of Bangs. Inside the house were Shawn’s two daughters, a 9-year-old and Autumn.
Shortly before the crash, according to the 9-ýear-old, Autumn had unbuckled her seatbelt. Then, at one moment, Shawn noticed a wild animal in the road. This prompted him to veer right off the roadway to avoid hitting the animal.
The car ended up skidding over a driveway and rolled over. As a result, Autumn was ejected from the car as the Hyundai overturned. She was pronounced deceased at the scene. Meanwhile, Shawn and his 9-year-old daughter were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Both of them were wearing seatbelts at the time.
A Grieving Community
According to Brownwood News, Autumn Rain Ales was identified as a student at Coggin Elementary. The Brownwood Independent School District (ISD) issued a statement following Autumn’s tragic death.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Coggin Elementary second-grade student, Autumn Ales, due to a tragic car accident,” the statement read. “We are deeply heartbroken by this loss and extend our sincerest condolences to her parents, family, and friends.”
The Brownwood ISD also confirmed that counselors and support staff have reached out to the parents of the Coggin Elementary second-grade students. They are providing “care and guidance” to anyone in need.
A GoFundMe was launched to support the Ales family through this difficult time.
“[Autumn] had just turned 8 years old, was full of life, laughter, joy, and had a personality out of this world. She was the youngest of 6 siblings,” the fundraiser read.