The father of one of the victims in Monday's fatal crash involving an Arkansas State Police patrol unit says his daughter had just moved to Hot Springs with her boyfriend to start life anew after turning her life around.
Cassandra Marie Braun, 26, and TaVon Desean Jenkins, 24, were killed in the collision, which occurred at 9:23 p.m. Monday on Airport Road at the Kleinshore Road intersection.
Braun, a fast-food restaurant manager, and Jenkins, an aspiring rapper, had moved to Hot Springs Oct. 4. The last thing her father, Michael Braun, a journalist living in Florida, heard from her was a text on that day at 8 p.m. as he was going up the Florida coast covering Hurricane Matthew for USA Today.
"She said that I could send the kids out to her if I wanted to and she would help take care of them out there (in Hot Springs). She was really happy about the house and everything around. She was in a good place. She was happy. Things were going really positive for her and TaVon," Michael Braun said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
The preliminary fatal crash summary for Monday's double fatality collision, prepared by the Hot Springs Police Department, was released Wednesday morning.
The report said that ASP Trooper 1st Class Brian Ray Burke's vehicle was headed east on Airport Road (Highway 70 west), while Braun and Jenkins' vehicle, a 2011 Chevy Malibu, was headed west on Airport, when the collision occurred at 9:23 p.m. Monday.
Braun is listed as the driver of the Malibu, and Jenkins as a passenger.
The report only says that the two "impacted at the intersection of Highway 70 at Kleinshore Road," but does not elaborate on how the collision occurred.
The report also lists Braun and Jenkins' city of residence as Estero, Fla.
Michael Braun said his daughter just recently lived in Florida, where she got into the "wrong crowd" and spent one year in prison for drugs and theft. After being released, she worked her way up to become a manager over several Dunkin' Donuts franchises and later moved over to Buffalo Wild Wings, also working her way up into management.
"She quickly moved up to managing one. Then, they moved her up to a bigger one and then said, 'Hey, we would like you to come out and open this new store for us in Hot Springs.' She was good at what she did. She had an aptitude for managing restaurants of that kind," he said.
Jenkins wanted to become a rapper and had some college education. Micheal Braun said Jenkins was always seen with headphones, bopping his head and muttering lyrics. Cassandra Braun and Jenkins had been dating for two years and Jenkins had become a father figure to Cassandra Braun's 4-year-old son, Landon.
"Landon loved him. He was an exceptional father figure with Landon. I can't say enough about him," Micheal Braun said.
"To me, he was just a really good kid who was good for Cassandra and I almost felt like he was another son."
On the night of the wreck, Buffalo Wild Wings employees told Micheal Braun that his daughter and Jenkins had come to the restaurant and she left from there with a smile. He said she had called her son, who is living in Florida with his father, to tell him goodnight at around 9 p.m., but he was already asleep. Around 23 minutes later, Cassandra Braun and Jenkins were killed in the wreck.
"It's been devastating. We had to wait until we could get all the kids together. She has four sisters and a brother," Michael Braun said. "They looked up to Cassandra."
After losing his grandfather Saturday to mesothelioma and his mother in the wreck on Monday, the family has not broke the news about his mother's death to Landon Braun.
"He doesn't know about either one. He's only 4 years old. We may wait a little while. His dad didn't know how to tell him. He was going to go talk to a clergy man to get some idea. That is a heavy load for a 4-year-old," Michael Braun said.
Local on 10/13/2016