A newlywed couple’s dream honeymoon ended in tragedy when their car crashed into a jackknifed truck on the way home.
On November 25, William Micah Carter, 25, and Jennifer Lynn Lower, 24, were traveling on Highway 20 in Deschutes County, Oregon, when their Subaru Outback collided with a commercial truck and trailer operated by 32-year-old Rajinder Kumar. The trailer had come to a stop in a jackknifed position, blocking both lanes of the highway.
Authorities say the crash occurred around 9:30 p.m., with dark conditions and no active emergency warning equipment contributing to the deadly accident. Both Carter and Lower were pronounced dead at the scene, while Kumar reportedly escaped without injury. The crash temporarily closed the highway for about seven hours.
Lower’s father, Tom Lower, shared with The Bulletin the heartbreaking details of their brief married life. The couple had tied the knot just 16 days earlier, honeymooned at Disneyland, and were on their way back to Salem to start their life together.
Kumar was arrested on charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment and is currently in Deschutes County Jail. Officials later revealed he is the subject of an ICE detainer, accused of being in the country illegally after reportedly entering at the Arizona border three years ago.
Deschutes County Judge Randy Miller recently approved a prosecutor’s request to raise Kumar’s bail from $100,000 to $250,000. Deputy District Attorney Caleb Staats also asked that Kumar be prohibited from leaving Oregon, noting that “more serious charges” are expected.
Lower’s father expressed his grief in court, saying, “This is a terrible tragedy, and we wish to see justice served.”
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Who could have guessed who the driver is