Lashieka Kapri Samuels Obituary, Death; 39-year-old Michigan woman ID’d as victim in I-69 Fort Wayne pile-up crash

Lashieka Kapri Samuels Obituary, Death – The Allen County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim of a fatal multi-vehicle crash that occurred Thursday morning on southbound Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne as 39-year-old Lashieka Kapri Samuels of Flint, Michigan.

According to the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD), the collision happened around 7:15 a.m. near the Illinois Road exit. The incident involved three vehicles — a pickup truck, an SUV, and a semi-truck — and was triggered by traffic congestion caused by a wide load on the roadway.

FWPD Public Information Officer Jonathan Cutler explained that as traffic slowed, the semi-truck failed to stop in time and rear-ended the SUV, which had seven people inside. The force of the impact pushed the SUV forward into the back of the pickup truck, leaving it pinned between the two larger vehicles.

Emergency responders arrived quickly and found that a female passenger in the SUV, later identified as Samuels, had suffered fatal injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner determined her cause of death to be “blunt impact injuries to the neck and torso” as a direct result of the semi-tractor versus motor vehicle crash.

The six other occupants of the SUV were transported to a nearby hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Both the pickup truck driver and the semi-truck driver were uninjured in the incident.

Officials confirmed that Samuels’ family has been notified of her death. Her passing marks the 28th traffic fatality recorded in Allen County in 2025, a statistic that continues to raise concerns for local law enforcement and safety advocates.

The crash caused significant traffic delays in the area as investigators worked to document the scene and clear the wreckage. Authorities are now focusing on determining the exact circumstances that led to the collision, including whether driver inattention, speed, or other factors contributed to the semi-truck’s failure to stop in time.

Multiple agencies are involved in the ongoing investigation, including the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Allen County Coroner’s Office, and the Indiana State Police. Officials have not yet indicated whether any charges will be filed.

Pile-up crashes involving large commercial vehicles often have severe consequences due to the immense force generated by heavy trucks. In this case, the semi’s impact on the SUV resulted in catastrophic damage, particularly for the passenger sitting in the rear section where the force was most concentrated.

Law enforcement officials are urging drivers to remain alert in congested traffic, maintain safe following distances, and be aware of reduced speeds near oversized loads, which can cause sudden slowdowns. They emphasize that collisions of this nature can occur quickly and with little warning, especially when larger vehicles are involved.

As the investigation continues, the community mourns the loss of Samuels, whose life was tragically cut short during what should have been an ordinary Thursday morning drive. Authorities hope that the findings from this case will help prevent similar tragedies on Indiana’s roads in the future.