Wreck survivor will know family's love, but not her parents

HINTON — A miracle might have saved little Layla Gourley. The 3-week-old baby is the lone survivor of a head-on collision that killed her parents and a father of two near Hinton.

Strapped into her car seat, the infant suffered only a minor cut in the accident that killed parents Tyler, 19, and Crystal, 20. Caring for the child may be the salve that soothes the pain of her family.

"It truly is amazing,” Hinton police officer Chad Geraughty said. "The more I look at the (accident reconstruction) drawings and the Explorer, it was kind of a miracle.

"It's like she was in a cocoon there that didn't have any damage. If her seat had been placed just a little bit closer to the driver's side, she wouldn't have made it. They did all the right things and had all the right equipment. That's probably the only positive thing about all this.”

Police said a sport utility vehicle driven by Jason Hux, 28, of Hinton crossed the center line and swerved into oncoming traffic, bouncing off a Dodge Neon before careening into the sport utility vehicle driven by Tyler Gourley.

The Gourleys, of Hinton, were taking their baby girl to the doctor about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident on U.S. 281 about a mile south of Interstate 40 near Hinton.

Hux was on his way home from work after finishing a seven-day shift on an oil rig when the accident occurred. There were no skid marks from either vehicle, said Geraughty, the Hinton officer. The tires on the passenger side of the vehicle driven by Gourley were into the shoulder when the collision occurred.

"They tried to swerve right,” Geraughty said. "There was no place for them to go.”

There were no signs that Hux had been drinking or under the influence. Officials haven't been able to determine why his vehicle crossed the center line, Geraughty said.

The accident is one of the worst that local officers have seen on a highly traveled stretch of road where accidents aren't common.

Geraughty, who was the first officer to respond to the accident, said when he arrived, the baby had been removed from the wrecked vehicle and was in the car of a witness.

Both SUVs were crumpled and twisted, Geraughty said.

Brian Montecino, Crystal Gourley's father, knows his granddaughter was spared for a reason.

"I've seen the vehicle, and I know she lived through the grace of God,” said Montecino, who lives in Carney. "She has a purpose to be fulfilled. We don't know what the purpose is, but we will in time.”

Members of Tyler Gourley's family have emergency guardianship of the infant, Montecino said.

"All the families have had a tragic loss. We will put our children to rest,” he said. "The main thing is that my daughter and son-in-law left a life in this world by the name of Layla. The main priority is that she is very well taken care of.”

Tyler and Crystal Gourley had known each other since eighth-grade. They began dating in high school, and Tyler transferred from Mustang High School to Hinton High School so he and Crystal could be together their senior year.

A few months after they graduated in 2006, they married, Montecino said.

"They just loved doing things together,” said Montecino, who described his daughter as fun-loving and full of life. "They were meant to be together, and now they will always be together.”

Layla will only know her parents through stories and the mementoes left behind. But she will also know "her mom and dad loved her very much,” Montecino said.

"It may have been for a short time, but there is a saying that it is better to be loved for a short time than to never be loved at all. This is a prime example.”

Layla came into the world on Nov. 14. Her petite mother struggled to deliver her before doctors performed a C-section, Montecino said.

"When she came out of it, I watched my daughter blossom into a beautiful young mother,” Montecino said. "And she said it was all worth it.”

Hux also leaves two children, a 21/2-year-old daughter and a 9-month-old son. His 21-year-old wife is pregnant with a third child. The couple recently bought a house in Hinton, said Troy Hinkle, Hux's father-in-law.

"He was a strong, family husband,” he said.

Hux went out of his way for others, Hinkle said.

"He was the person everybody called when they ran out of gas or had a flat tire,” he said. "He loved his kids very much. He was always talking about wanting to grow old and rocking the grandkids. He was a good provider, he gave his kids everything.”