The Calloway County community is dealing with a painful loss after a crash claimed the lives of Amanda Laster and her 16-year-old son, Brayden Laster, on a quiet Thursday evening that turned tragic in seconds.
It happened around 5:30 p.m. on June 4, 2026, at the intersection of Highway 80 and Brinn Road. Amanda Laster, 37, was driving a Ford Fusion and attempted to cross Highway 80 from Brinn Road.
Investigators say her vehicle moved into the path of an oncoming GMC Sierra that was heading east. The truck was also pulling a loaded horse trailer at the time.
The impact was severe and happened right in the middle of the intersection. Emergency responders rushed to the scene within minutes, but the situation was already critical.
Amanda Laster and her son Brayden, who was seated in the front passenger seat, were both pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner.
A 12-year-old girl in the back seat survived but suffered serious injuries. She was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The driver of the GMC Sierra was not injured in the crash. Authorities have not indicated any signs of impairment or wrongdoing at this stage of the investigation.
What remains is a grieving community. Friends and neighbors describe Amanda as a devoted mother who centered her life around her children, while Brayden is remembered as a bright teenager with promise and close ties to those around him.
Shock has spread across Murray and surrounding areas as families try to process how quickly everything changed at that intersection.
Investigators are still working to fully understand the sequence of events that led to the collision, and no further details have been released.
