7 kids die in car crash; grandpa dies upon hearing the news

[Grimmlok]

LAKE BUTLER, Florida (CNN) -- News of a crash in which seven children perished so upset their grandfather that he had a massive heart attack and died, the children's adoptive mother said.

"I lost my daddy tonight," Barbara Mann said Wednesday. "My dad died of a massive heart attack tonight over all this. He lost all seven of his grandkids ... I can't deal with this."

A tractor-trailer plowed into the children's car near Gainesville, Florida, Wednesday, slamming it into the rear of a school bus that had stopped to let children off.

The car burst into flames, killing all the children inside, said Lt. Mike Burroughs of the Florida Highway Patrol. (Full story)

They have been identified as: Cynthia Mann and Elizabeth Mann, both 15; Ashley Keen and Johnny Mann, both 13; Miranda Finn, 9; Heaven Mann, 3; and Anthony Lamb, 20 months.

All were adopted foster children, except for Anthony, who was in the process of being adopted, Burroughs said.

Ashley and Miranda were also cousins.

At the wheel was Cynthia Mann, who had a learner's permit. Under Florida law, it is illegal for a 15-year-old to drive without an adult.

Cynthia Mann's aunt said the girl had just dropped off another child and was taking the rest of the children home "to get ready to go to church."

"It's my understanding she did not cause the accident," Tina Mann said of her niece. "The same thing would have happened had there been an adult in the car with her. We'd just have one more death in the family."

The accident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. four miles south of Lake Butler. At the time, all three vehicles -- the tractor-trailer, the car and the bus -- were heading north, said Lt. Bill Leeper of the Florida Highway Patrol.

The tractor-trailer left no skid marks, police told CNN Thursday. But there were marks on the road indicating the driver veered away after the initial impact, police added.

Its driver has been hospitalized and is medicated, police said, adding that they are waiting to question him about the accident. The driver had been cited for unsafe driving five years ago.

Three of the nine children aboard the bus were seriously injured and transported by helicopter to hospitals. None of the students' injuries were life-threatening, Leeper said.

A spokeswoman for Shands Hospital in Gainesville said eight patients were transported, ages 5 to 16. Two were in critical condition; three in serious condition, Betsy Miller said.

The driver of the bus was also injured, but her condition wasn't immediately known.

[hello]

too sad to believe.

[buttmunch]

I read this earlier today and couldn't even post it because it was so sad. But what the hell was a 15 year old doing behind the wheel?

[Grimmlok]

Driving badly and getting 7 children killed, it seems.

[SammysMom]

Was it the 15 yr old fault? There is a news conference in a few minutes. Seems it was the trailer-tractor fella's fault.

[Glasgow53]

Yeah, but there is a reason they don't give 15 year olds driver's licenses. Maybe an adult could have avoided the danger better.

[buttmunch]

Actually, I retract my question. The kid is dead, there was probably what seemed like a good reason at the time and yes, the news reports indicate that no fault lies with the 15-year-old. That poor family.

[LynnieD]

Wow...that is unbelieveable. Wow...wow..

[GawsipRawksz]

same thing happened to friend of my mom's. there's three brothers, one dies in a car wreck, and when they tell the second brother, he strokes out, but the third brother was able to handle it well.