Authorities in Georgia say a 25-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child have died from injuries sustained in a wrong-way crash that also killed the woman’s husband.
On Wednesday, Dec. 24, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) said Lexi Waldroup and her 15-week-old fetus died in the hospital three days after Waldroup suffered critical injuries in a multi-vehicle collision on Sunday, Dec. 21, in Athens.
Waldroup’s husband, Soonhoon Choi, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Choi was driving, with Waldroup seated in the front passenger seat, when their vehicle was struck head-on by a car traveling the wrong way.
Waldroup’s death was also confirmed by the organizer of a GoFundMe launched after the crash, when Waldroup was hospitalized in the ICU and, according to the organizer, “fighting for her life — and for the life of her unborn baby.”
“She fought with everything she had — with courage, strength, and love — and her passing has left an ache that cannot be described,” Aaron Bedgood Jr. wrote Wednesday. “What began as hope and prayer has turned into unimaginable heartbreak.”
What police say happened
According to ACCPD, officers received a report of a wrong-way driver on the GA 10 Inner Loop at Chase Street at about 12:08 a.m. local time on Sunday. Shortly afterward, police received another call reporting a crash on the Inner Loop at Oglethorpe Ave.
In a preliminary account of the incident, police said Desiree Browning, 26, drove a 2021 Kia Seltos in the wrong direction on Inner Loop 10 as a 2021 Mercedes-Benz and a 2020 Ford Expedition were also traveling on the roadway.
“The Kia made contact with the Mercedes-Benz, then made contact with the Ford Expedition,” police said in a press release. “The Kia continued the wrong way on the loop, striking a 2017 Toyota Camry head-on. Upon impact, the Kia came to a rest on the cable barriers, where it became engulfed in flames.”
Choi and Waldroup were identified as the victims in the Toyota Camry struck by Browning’s vehicle, police said.
Browning died at the scene from her injuries, according to authorities. Police said a passenger in her vehicle was transported to a hospital in critical condition, while the occupants of the Mercedes-Benz and Ford Expedition suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Police said Wednesday that the investigation remains ongoing following Waldroup’s death.
Tributes to the couple
An obituary for Choi and Waldroup described them as “two souls bound by love, devotion, and an unbreakable bond,” adding that while their lives ended too soon, their love and impact would endure.
“Soonhoon Choi was a gentle soul with a heart full of love,” the tribute stated. “He was a devoted husband, a loving son, and the light of his family’s life. He deeply loved his wife, Lexi, and dreamed of a future built on kindness, hope, and quiet generosity.”
The obituary also described Waldroup as “strong, compassionate, and fiercely loving,” adding that she “fought with incredible strength and bravery until the very end.”
Waldroup and Choi are survived by their parents and other relatives, according to the obituary.
GoFundMe updated for funeral and medical expenses
The GoFundMe campaign, initially started to support Waldroup and the couple’s unborn child, will now go toward funeral and medical costs. As of Thursday, Dec. 25, it had raised nearly $30,000.
“We want to thank every single person who prayed, shared, donated, and sent words of encouragement,” Bedgood wrote Wednesday. “The outpouring of love carried this family through the darkest moments, and that love will never be forgotten.”
