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4-Year-Old Survives Crash That Killed Entire Family: She Watched the Scene Unfold

Heidi Miller

A 4-year-old girl was the only member of her family to survive after their minivan was struck by an Amtrak train as they headed to church on Sunday, June 26. The crash happened at a railroad crossing in southern Colorado, about 15 miles from the New Mexico border.

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Stephen Miller, 32, who was behind the wheel of the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country, and his wife, Christina Miller, 33, were killed along with their three girls Abigail, 6, Kathryn, 2, and 8-month-old Ellianna. Their daughter Heidi was airlifted to the Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, with serious injuries, Morning News USA reported.

None of the 286 passengers on board the train were injured, KUSA reported.

Christina’s first cousin Keith Schlabach tells Us Weekly that Heidi was awake during the horrific collision. “She retained consciousness throughout the accident, so she remembers it. We’re still not sure exactly how much,” he tells Us. “She was probably the most sensitive of the children.”

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Schlabach added that Heidi is continuing to recover in the hospital and is doing “very well.”

The family’s pastor, Cary Nelson, told CBS4 that Heidi “is alert and awake and obviously asking for her mother. … It’s hard. Very hard.”

Schlabach set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for funeral costs and Heidi’s hospital bills.

“Steve and Christina were a very likable couple with a vision for family and reaching out to others,” Schlabach tells Us. “Abigail, Kathryn and Ellianna were incredibly sweet girls with huge personalities that would never cease to amaze everyone.”

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