A nine-month-old boy was orphaned after his parents were killed on an Ohio road by a speeding “drunk driver” who crashed into their car.
Jacob Hahn, 24, and Savannah Harding, 22, died in a three-car crash east of Stony Ridge, leaving behind their infant son, Beckett Wayne.
On Dec. 9, 55-year-old Samantha Hammons was driving down Fremont Pike at a high rate of speed when she struck the young couple's car from behind, causing it to spin into the eastbound lane and be struck by another driver, police said with.
Hahn and Harding were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Perrysburg District Court, Hammons was under the influence of alcohol before he got behind the wheel.
Savannah Harding, 22, and Jacob Hahn, 24, died in a high-speed crash after a “drunk driver” hit their car. The couple leaves behind their nine-month-old son Beckett
The couple was struck by 55-year-old Samantha Hammons, who was driving drunk down Fremont Pike in Wood County, Ohio, police said. Her two adult daughters were in the back seat
The young couple were pronounced dead at the scene after their car veered into an eastbound lane and was struck by another driver
Hammons' adult daughters, Heather and Asia, were in the back seat during the accident. They were not injured and Hammons was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Those who knew Hahn and Harding took to social media to remember their lives.
Dale Marie, the photographer who came to document their wedding, left a tribute on Facebook, writing, “On the evening of December 9th, a soon-to-be bride and groom, Savannah Harding and Jakob Hahn, booked me to capture their engagement and wedding day , victim.” to an unfortunate circumstance.
“A reckless driver who did not consider how his irresponsible actions would impact so many people killed two innocent people on Route 20. They leave behind a precious 9-month-old son, Beckett.”
The photographer said she met Beckett during couples counseling, where Harding expressed the importance of showing the little boy in as many photos as possible.
“I want to continue to honor her wishes as best I can,” she wrote, committing to photographing Beckett’s growth through a “milestone package.”
Harding's sister Brooklyn described the 22-year-old and her young fiancé as “the sweetest souls.”
“My heart hurts so much since you left,” she wrote.
Her sister Brooklyn remembered Harding as the “sweetest soul” and “role model.”
Hahn's cousin Brooke Johnson recalled how excited the 24-year-old was to become a father
In a Facebook post, Johnson urged her cousin and his fiancé to take care of Beckett and “protect him from this crazy world.”
Hammons was charged with two counts of aggravated vehicular manslaughter in the couple's deaths. The charge carries a mandatory prison sentence of two to eight years
“You were one of my biggest role models growing up. You made me little Beckett's aunt for the first time. I will always be there for him. We all will.'
She vowed to “fight for her sister forever,” adding that Hammons deserved to “rot.”
Hahn's cousin Brooke Johnson said her emotions were “confused” after the 24-year-old's death.
“I’m so sad but mostly angry,” she wrote. “Angry that an irresponsible and inconsiderate woman has taken the lives of two very young people who have really just begun to live theirs.”
She continued: “My heart is completely broken for sweet Beckett because he will never know how amazing his parents were and how much they loved him!”
When Hahn found out he was going to be a father, “I could tell he was scared to death but so happy!”
Johnson ended the post, urging her cousin and his fiancé to take care of Beckett and “protect him from this crazy world.”
Hammons was booked into the Wood County Jail and a judge set her bond at $500,000. She was charged with two counts of aggravated road rage murder.
The charge is a second-degree felony in Ohio and carries a mandatory prison sentence of two to eight years and a lifetime driver's license suspension.