At a Glance
- A mother and her 17-year-old daughter died in a Jan. 6 crash in Lafayette, Louisiana
- Both were set to graduate within months-mom from nursing school, daughter from high school
- A 21-year-old driver also died after allegedly speeding in heavy fog
- Why it matters: The collision wiped out two generations of one family during an ordinary school-drop-off routine
A morning ride to the school bus turned fatal when a speeding driver rear-ended a stationary car in heavy fog, claiming three lives and shattering a family just months before two long-awaited graduations.
The Crash
At about 7 a.m. on Jan. 6, Joseph Prejean, 21, was traveling west on East Broussard Road when his vehicle struck Cherita Washington’s car as she waited at a red light with her daughter, Chase Washington, 17.
The force pushed the Washingtons into a third vehicle and sent Prejean across multiple lanes before he hit a utility pole, according to Lafayette police. The third driver sustained moderate injuries; all three occupants of the other cars were pronounced dead at the scene.
Lafayette Police Sgt. Robin Green confirmed officers were operating under a “very heavy fog advisory” at the time.
Lives Cut Short
Cherita, a mother of three, was scheduled to graduate from nursing school in May; Chase expected to receive her Lafayette High diploma in August.
> Yolanda Washington, a relative, told KATC:
> “Our hearts are broken, and our minds are overwhelmed. We are struggling to understand how, in one moment, so many lives could be changed forever.”
She added that Cherita was simply completing a post-holiday routine: “A normal morning after the holidays. A routine filled with love and responsibility.”
Key Takeaways
- Three people died in a fog-related, multi-vehicle crash on Jan. 6 in Lafayette
- Victims included Cherita Washington, 36, her daughter Chase, 17, and the 21-year-old alleged speeding driver
- The mother and daughter were months away from celebrating dual graduations
- One survivor in a third vehicle was treated for moderate injuries
- Police continue to investigate the collision
The Washington family now faces life without two generations as the community mourns a nursing student and a high-school senior who never got their graduation days.
