JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The four members of a family who died when their broken-down SUV was rear-ended on the Buckman Bridge on Monday afternoon had recently moved to Jacksonville. The victims’ husband and father, a corpsman at NAS Jacksonville, who had recently moved his family here from Arkansas, will return there with the burden of burying his wife and children in their home state.
The pastor of the family’s church — Trinity at Oakleaf — said the church is collecting online donations and gift cards to help the father, Dexter Culclager, pay for travel expenses. Gift cards can be dropped off at 800 Hammond Blvd. at the C Building front desk, and online donations can be made at http://www.gofundme.com/Culclager.
Dexter Culclager will be going home to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, for the funerals of his wife, 36-year-old Yakel Culclager, and their three children: 18-year-old Trequis Woods-Sims, 17-year-old Tradesia Woods-Sims and 6-year-old Trevieon Woods-Franklin.
All four were killed when the SUV they were in burst into flames after it was struck on the bridge, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The family had moved to Jacksonville’s Westside. A man who just heard the victims of the tragedy were his neighbors reacted with shock.
“The father had high hopes for his oldest son. He was going to make a decision whether he would join the military or not,” said Dean Buben. “His older daughter’s about to graduate high school and was talking about college. That’s what she was excited for. And the little kid was full of energy. He run around this neighborhood like a firecracker all of the time.”