Latest news with #NicoleGregory
CBS News
04-07-2025
- CBS News
Family of devoted mom killed in I-20 crash near Terrell, remembers her as loving, full of life
The family of Nicole Gregory, one of five people killed in Saturday's devastating crash on I-20, is remembering her as someone full of life and hopelessly devoted to her loved ones. The sudden loss of the 48-year-old has left a deep and painful void, one her sister, Alicia, and daughter, Hailee, are still coming to terms with. "My parents split up when I was very young, and it was me and my mom my entire life," Hailee LaJeunesse Gregory said. Hailee Gregory said growing up, her mom was at every soccer game and theater performance. They were inseparable, and she always felt loved and supported. "She was my soul mate," she said. "Anyone that knew me and my mom, they knew that we were a package deal." Last Saturday, Nicole Gregory spent the day with a close friend and was heading to watch one of her favorite bands, The Flannel Pajamas, perform when she was involved in an accident on I-20 in Kaufman County. Authorities say the driver of an 18-wheeler fell asleep at the wheel, crashing into several vehicles. "The last text that I sent her was, 'I love you and be safe,'" Hailee Gregory said. "That was the last time I got to talk to her. That was the last text that I know she opened." Now, imagining a future without her feels unbearable. "I just think I'm engaged, and she won't be at my wedding," Nicole Gregory's sister, Alicia LaJeunesse, said. "Her milestones that she's going to be missing out on... It's hard just knowing the things to come." "She wanted to be a grandmother so badly," Hailee Gregory said. "I wanted nothing more than to give her a grandchild and to see how she would be as a grandmother." What's helping them cope is the outpouring of love and support. They say Nicole Gregory had a gift for making people feel seen and never hesitated to help someone in need. In return, the community is giving back. A GoFundMe has already raised thousands of dollars to support the family.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Yahoo
Family of 4 Revealed as Victims of Crash on Texas Highway After Truck Driver Allegedly Fell Asleep: Reports
Family members Shaun and Zabar McKellar, their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, died in the June 28 car crash in Terrell, Texas, according to reports Evan McKellar is the only family member to reportedly have survived the incident and is in critical condition in hospital Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, was charged with five counts of manslaughter in relation to the crashFour members of the same Fort Worth family have been revealed as among the victims of a recent multi-vehicle crash in Texas. Shaun and Zabar McKellar died along with their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, when a semi-truck crashed into several vehicles on Interstate 20 in Terrell on Saturday, June 28, NBC News and CBS News reported, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety. Evan McKellar, 20, was the only family member to survive the crash. She had been riding with her family in a Ford F-150 truck at the time and was sent to the ICU at Parkland Hospital with critical injuries, according to the outlets. The fifth victim who died in the crash has been identified as the driver of another vehicle, 49-year-old Nicole Gregory from Dallas, per NBC News. She died at the scene. The crash happened after a semi-truck hit two 18-wheelers and three passenger vehicles, causing a 'mass casualty' event, CBS reported at the time of the incident, citing the Terrell Volunteer Fire Department. Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, allegedly told police that he fell asleep at the wheel before crashing into the back of a pickup truck carrying five people at around 2:40 p.m. local time, KLTV, CBS News Texas and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram previously reported. Gonzalez-Companioni was charged with five counts of manslaughter and an additional count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon related to the crash, PEOPLE confirmed. He is currently in custody at the Kaufman County Jail. The McKellar family were coming back from a trip in East Texas at the time of the crash, the family's attorney John Nohinek, of Witherite Law Group, told NBC News at the time. 'Our focus as attorneys turns toward trying to locate the source, from a legal standpoint, of the wreck,' he told the outlet. 'While the family grieves, we work to make sure that we get this information as soon as possible. It's very important information to get an idea of what was happening inside that vehicle at the time.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The loss of the McKellars has been described as 'heartbreaking' by loved ones. 'We lost a beautiful family in a tragic motor vehicle accident in Terrell, Texas,' Kirbie Nichols wrote on a GoFundMe page supporting the family. 'This unimaginable tragedy has deeply touched the hearts of many, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming love, prayers, and support shown during this time. So many have reached out asking how they can help or give back to the family in this moment of sorrow,' the page read. According to CBS News, Kason was a student at North Crowley High School, while Evan McKellar is a college student. PEOPLE has contacted Texas Department of Public Safety for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Yahoo
Family of 4 Revealed as Victims of Crash on Texas Highway After Truck Driver Allegedly Fell Asleep: Reports
Family members Shaun and Zabar McKellar, their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, died in the June 28 car crash in Terrell, Texas, according to reports Evan McKellar is the only family member to reportedly have survived the incident and is in critical condition in hospital Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, was charged with five counts of manslaughter in relation to the crashFour members of the same Fort Worth family have been revealed as among the victims of a recent multi-vehicle crash in Texas. Shaun and Zabar McKellar died along with their 15-year-old son Kason and grandfather Billy McKellar, 79, when a semi-truck crashed into several vehicles on Interstate 20 in Terrell on Saturday, June 28, NBC News and CBS News reported, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety. Evan McKellar, 20, was the only family member to survive the crash. She had been riding with her family in a Ford F-150 truck at the time and was sent to the ICU at Parkland Hospital with critical injuries, according to the outlets. The fifth victim who died in the crash has been identified as the driver of another vehicle, 49-year-old Nicole Gregory from Dallas, per NBC News. She died at the scene. The crash happened after a semi-truck hit two 18-wheelers and three passenger vehicles, causing a 'mass casualty' event, CBS reported at the time of the incident, citing the Terrell Volunteer Fire Department. Alexis Osmani Gonzalez-Companioni, 27, allegedly told police that he fell asleep at the wheel before crashing into the back of a pickup truck carrying five people at around 2:40 p.m. local time, KLTV, CBS News Texas and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram previously reported. Gonzalez-Companioni was charged with five counts of manslaughter and an additional count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon related to the crash, PEOPLE confirmed. He is currently in custody at the Kaufman County Jail. The McKellar family were coming back from a trip in East Texas at the time of the crash, the family's attorney John Nohinek, of Witherite Law Group, told NBC News at the time. 'Our focus as attorneys turns toward trying to locate the source, from a legal standpoint, of the wreck,' he told the outlet. 'While the family grieves, we work to make sure that we get this information as soon as possible. It's very important information to get an idea of what was happening inside that vehicle at the time.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The loss of the McKellars has been described as 'heartbreaking' by loved ones. 'We lost a beautiful family in a tragic motor vehicle accident in Terrell, Texas,' Kirbie Nichols wrote on a GoFundMe page supporting the family. 'This unimaginable tragedy has deeply touched the hearts of many, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming love, prayers, and support shown during this time. So many have reached out asking how they can help or give back to the family in this moment of sorrow,' the page read. According to CBS News, Kason was a student at North Crowley High School, while Evan McKellar is a college student. PEOPLE has contacted Texas Department of Public Safety for comment. Read the original article on People
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Coffee and culture thrive in Richardson's Core district
Coffee and culture are brewed in a network of coffee houses that dot the landscape in and around Richardson's old downtown area. Along the storefronts and cafés along the corners and corridors of Richardson's Main Street-centered "Core District," the aromas of cardamon, cinnamon and clove waft with the swirling grind of coffee beans. Inside one café, the taste of Yemen is being crafted. Head to the north, you can grab a traditional Japanese seiza booth and sip on rich green matcha tea, or relax in the backyard of a 1940s house, known for community conversation over latte or chai. "Richardson was somewhere where I want to be, somewhere super diverse," Nicole Gregory, owner of Staycation Coffee, said while serving a small line of regulars inside the former residential home reimagined into one of a variety of coffee shops in the downtown core area. "I think eyes turned to Richardson as a place to be to create culture and community, and we see that growing here with the coffee shops." Within a quarter-mile radius, you can visit Shiham Coffee, Arwa Coffee, La Souq, Okaeri Café and several others, all infused with specialty offerings that highlight nations of origin, or cultural coffee and tea delicacies. The Core district was touted as a city section known for small restaurants with big followings for Pakistani biryani, Chinese dim sum and the city's oldest restaurant, Kel's Hamburgers. The coffee houses are deemed as locations of comfort and familiarity for residents who yearn for a sense of homeland. Grant Tran owns Okaeri Café, a spot decorated with contemporary Japanese décor. "We want to show our culture, what we like to drink. It happened to gather in Richardson, and I think it's really cool," Grant said. Inside La Souq Coffee, the owners are the newest coffee addition to the Core District array of shops. "We bring a taste of the Mediterranean. We chose the area because of the culture and diversity here. A lot of the coffee shops are here because there's demand for it here," owner Hira Sidiqqui said. From Main Street, east of Central Expressway to Greenville Avenue, the Richardson Core district's main artery extends north and south. At last count, there were at least seven coffee houses blending ethnic diversity in and around the Core, and plenty of customers seeking them out.
