New Mom of Twins Dies in Freak Highway Deer Accident

A 25-year-old woman who had given birth to twins days earlier was killed in a freak accident in Morgan County, Indiana after a deer struck by one car was thrown into the path of another. Authorities say the crash happened Saturday night when a northbound Pontiac hit a deer on State Road 67, sending the animal flying into the southbound lane, WXIN reports. The deer crashed through the windshield of a Chevy Blazer, killing passenger Cheyenne Sears. The Blazer's driver, 55, was airlifted to a hospital, while a child in the back seat was taken to Riley Children's Hospital. No injuries were reported in the Pontiac.

• On Facebook, relatives said Sears, a first-time mom, had given birth to twins just five days before the accident, the Kansas City Star reports. "We are absolutely heartbroken," said cousin Robert Nash. "Her babies will never get the chance to know the incredible mother she already was." Her husband, Coty Sears, said the "hurt is so unreal." "I wasn't supposed to do this alone," he wrote.
• Morgan County Sheriff Rich Myers described the crash as an "unfortunate, tragic accident" that could neither be predicted nor prevented, noting the especially unpredictable nature of deer during mating season. He advised drivers to slow down and use bright headlights when possible. He said drivers should be aware a deer could jump in front of them at any time. "Any fatal crash is tragic," the sheriff said. "But just the circumstances surrounding this is making it even more for the community."
• Sears, a nurse, worked at an assisted living facility in Mooresville, Indiana. Relatives say she worked her way up from floor nurse to a leadership position, WXIN reports. "She was the epitome of the nurse that you would want your mom, dad, grandma, or grandpa being taken care of," says her colleague Shane Nevers. "She was so excited, beyond excited, you know, to be a new mom." A fundraiser for Sears' family has raised more than $50,000.