The Hardman family: via Facebook.com
Trudi Wagoner Hardman, a 1992 Bryan Adams High School graduate, died in a car accident last night. Her husband Michael Hardman, and three of their children also died at the scene.
The Hardemans both were teachers — Trudi a kindergarten teacher in the Wills Point ISD and Michael a second-grade teacher in the Terrell ISD.
According to a post from a family member on the Bryan Adams alumni Facebook group (note: I attended BA with Trudi), she was traveling to Disney World in Florida with Michael and their six children — two from her previous marriage, three from his previous marriage and one together. Of the three surviving children, one is in a Shreveport hospital and two have minor-to-no injuries and have been released from the hospital.
Police told KLTV that this was a single-vehicle wreck, that the family was traveling eastbound on I-20 in a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe, near the Highway 80 exit, when they veered into the median. The driver, reportedly a teenage family member, overcorrected, and the vehicle flipped, police believe. Said driver is among the survivors.
None of the five victims was wearing a seatbelt, prompting Louisiana police to release the following statement:
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to all of the people affected by this tragic crash,” said Colonel Mike Edmonson, Lousiana State Police superintendent. “Crashes like this one don’t just affect the people involved. They affect family members, friends, troopers, first responders and the community at large. In an instant, this family vacation turned into an unspeakable tragedy. I cannot stress enough the importance of wearing a seatbelt anytime you are in a vehicle.”
