GIRL SCOUTS TRIP ENDS IN HEARTBREAK: MOM AND 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER LOST, FOUR CHILDREN INJURED IN TRAGIC CRASH

What began as a fun Girl Scouts outing ended with a family shattered and four children fighting to recover.

Amanda Wertman and her 8-year-old daughter, Michaela, were heading home from a Girl Scouts trip to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, when their vehicle became involved in a devastating collision Saturday evening in Pike County.

Amanda, 41, and Michaela did not make it home.

Four other children were critically injured.

And investigators are now piecing together the frightening chain of events that led to the crash.

A FAMILY’S RIDE HOME

The group had spent the day together at Holiday World before beginning the journey back to Pike County.

Inside the Toyota Sienna were Amanda and four children, including her own children.

Then, around 7:42 p.m., Indiana State Police say a completely separate situation was unfolding nearby.

A Pike County sheriff’s deputy was responding to a domestic-violence call at a gas station when a red Toyota Camry believed to be involved in the incident left the area.

According to investigators, the Camry allegedly forced another driver off the road and failed to stop at a flashing red light.

The situation escalated when police say the Camry crossed into the deputy’s lane and appeared to attempt to strike the patrol vehicle.

The deputy avoided the collision and began pursuing the Camry.

SECONDS LATER, EVERYTHING CHANGED

Investigators say the Camry continued along State Road 64.

Near County Road 900 East, police say the vehicle crossed the centerline.

It then collided head-on with the Toyota Sienna carrying Amanda and the four children.

Amanda and the driver of the Camry were lost at the scene.

The identity of the Camry driver has not yet been released.

Indiana State Police are now conducting a crash reconstruction investigation to determine exactly what happened.

MICHAELA WAS ONLY 8

Amanda’s daughter, Michaela, survived the initial collision but was critically injured.

She was transported to a hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

She later died from her injuries.

For the Wertman family, the tragedy became almost impossible to comprehend.

A mother and daughter who had spent the day with children and friends were suddenly gone.

Amanda’s 5-year-old son, Theodore, was also injured and remains hospitalized.

A fundraiser has been established to help with his medical care and support his father, Simon, as the family faces the devastating aftermath.

FOUR CHILDREN WERE INJURED

Another 8-year-old girl, Oaklie Disney, was among the children injured.

According to her family’s fundraiser, Oaklie suffered two brain bleeds and is being treated at Louisville Children’s Hospital.

Her parents have remained by her side as doctors continue caring for her.

The identities of the other injured children have not been publicly released.

Indiana State Police said the surviving children are expected to recover.

THE QUESTION NOW: WHAT LED TO THE CRASH?

The investigation is focused on the sequence of events involving the Camry, the police response and the eventual collision.

Authorities have not yet released a complete reconstruction of the incident.

Investigators will be examining the road conditions, vehicle movements, witness accounts and other evidence to determine exactly how the collision unfolded.

For the families, however, the questions are secondary to the devastating reality.

A day that was supposed to be filled with laughter and memories ended with emergency crews rushing children to hospitals.

A COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND THE FAMILIES

As news of the tragedy spread, fundraisers were launched for the Wertman family and for Oaklie’s family.

The verified fundraisers had raised more than $70,000 combined by the time PEOPLE published its report.

The money is intended to help families facing medical expenses, recovery and the overwhelming practical challenges that followed the crash.

But no fundraiser can replace what was lost.

Amanda was a mother.

Michaela was an 8-year-old girl who had spent the day enjoying a Girl Scouts outing.

They were simply trying to get home.

Instead, their journey ended in tragedy.

And now, as the surviving children continue to recover, Indiana State Police are working to answer the questions surrounding the crash.

One family’s fun-filled day became a nightmare on the road home.

A mother and her young daughter are gone.

Four children are left to recover.

And the investigation into how those final moments unfolded is only beginning.