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3 young boys orphaned when parents are killed in Christmas Day wreck, TN reports say

Three young brothers are recovering from injuries sustained in a Christmas Day wreck that left both of their parents dead, Tennessee reports said.
Three young brothers are recovering from injuries sustained in a Christmas Day wreck that left both of their parents dead, Tennessee reports said. Screengrab from Brittany Dillard's Facebook page

Three young brothers were left orphaned when their parents were killed in a fatal wreck on Christmas Day, Tennessee officials and loved ones say.

Highway patrol officers said Dustin Dillard and Brittany Dillard died the evening of Dec. 25 when their Jeep Wagoneer SUV was hit head-on by an Isuzu Ascender SUV.

The couple’s three young sons were also in the Jeep and injured, according to WTVC.

The Jeep was traveling west on U.S. Highway 64 in Bradley County — about 40 miles east of Chattanooga — when the Isuzu, which was traveling east, crossed the median, state highway patrol said. Charges are pending against the Isuzu driver.

Dustin Dillard and Brittany Dillard, both 33, were married in 2010 and had three young sons, according to Brittany Dillard’s Facebook.

Brittany Dillard was a beloved science teacher at Walker Valley High School, her Facebook page and the school’s website show.

Students, coworkers and loved ones remember her as “more than a teacher,” social media posts say.

“I know now how lucky I was to be one of those few lucky students call Mrs. Dillard’s class my safe space freshman year,” a former student wrote in a Dec. 27 Facebook post. “She was a light at Walker Valley High School and a role model to so many.”

“Please continue to keep the Dillard Family in your thoughts and prayers. We are heartbroken for their loss,” Bradley County Schools said in a tweet.

“Mrs. Dillard was the best part of every great teacher. She was great at teaching but she was better at kids,” another friend posted on Dec. 26. “This is an unthinkable tragedy. I don’t know why this happened and I can’t see the big picture.”

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This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 5:01 PM with the headline "3 young boys orphaned when parents are killed in Christmas Day wreck, TN reports say."

Moira Ritter
mcclatchy-newsroom
Moira Ritter covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied government, journalism and German. Previously, she reported for CNN Business.
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