Our
daughter and sister, Katie Marie Aylor, died tragically at 5:20 PM on August 27,
2002 in an automobile accident on Oregonia Road in Lebanon, Ohio. She was only
16 years, 6 months and 26 days old. Her friend, Brandi Cook, was driving and
also killed instantly.
Although Katie
left this life on August 27, 2002, we can and will keep her vibrantly alive with
us in our hearts and thoughts. We love and miss her now and forever.
How did the accident happen?
The following article was in the Cincinnati Post on August 28, 2002 and
describes the accident fairly well.
Truck/car
wreck kills 2 teen girls
Two teen-age girls from Lebanon, Ohio, died Tuesday when
their Ford Escort collided with a semi about a half mile east of the city
limits.
The driver, identified as Brandi Cook, 16, was headed west on Oregonia Road at
5:20 p.m. and apparently lost control of the vehicle as it rounded a curve.
The car went off the right side of the road, slid sideways back onto the road,
went left of center and hit the front left corner of the eastbound semi,
crushing the car and killing Cook and her passenger, 16-year-old Katie Aylor, as
it rolled beneath the semi.
The truck forced the car back up the road about 75 to 100 feet on impact, he
said.
Cook was
not wearing a seat belt, and a preliminary investigation could not determine if
Aylor was wearing her seat belt.
The driver of the semi, Christopher Lutmer, 22, also of Lebanon, was not hurt.
He was not cited. "It looks like he was just going down the road.
There wasn't a thing he could do to avoid this," said Sgt. Pete Combs,
assistant commander of the Ohio Highway Patrol's Lebanon post.
Were alcohol or drugs involved in the accident?
NO! The girls had just left a friends house and were on their way to
apply for jobs at local restaurants. The accident happened on a beautiful,
sunny August afternoon around 5:20 p.m.
Who built the website?
The
website is owned and operated by Katie's parents, Karol and Jeff.
Katie's father, Jeff, built and maintains the website using Microsoft
FrontPage and both parents have done all of the design work. Karol
scanned the many great pictures of Katie and her family and friends that bring
so much love and life to the site. Many of Katie's friends and family
have provided pictures, artwork and poems that have become an important part
of the site's character.
Does the Aylor family hate Brandi?
Absolutely NOT! We have always loved Brandi and continue to do
so today. We know that Brandi would have NEVER hurt Katie for any purpose.
She loved Katie too. Brandi just made a driving error and the
circumstances were unforgiving and she lost her life as well.
Is there a site for Brandi?
As of this update we are unaware of a website for Brandi. Even though
this is a website dedicated to Katie, we do include Brandi in many ways.
Why isn't Joel's name on the headstone.
It is our hope and prayer that Joel will live a long and happy life and be
buried with his wife and children many, many years from now. (We do own
the three lots behind the stone just in case.)
Why isn't Katie buried between her mother and father?
We bought the original plots on the day after the accident and were in a
total state of shock. We originally purchased four plots, two in front and two
behind, because this was all the cemetery said were available at that time.
After a few months we learned that the plots to the right of ours were also
available. We purchased the right front and the right back. This gave us
three plots in a row in both the front and the back. Katie had already
been buried in the plot to the far left. In order for us to have Katie
between us, we would have had to move her. We were unwilling to do that.
Do you believe that Katie is in heaven?
Without a doubt! We believe that Christ has Katie and she had a strong
faith and attended church weekly. We know that there is life after this
physical life. We looked forward to being with her again.
