Danny and Julie Hagan loved Georgia Southern football and were in the stands Saturday for the season opener against Louisiana State University.
The weekend in Baton Rouge was “a trip of a lifetime” for the Effingham County couple, who were celebrating their 25th anniversary, according to their family and friends. They never made it home.
The Hagans were killed Sunday after their Nissan Altima hydroplaned on I-16 outside of Swainsboro, state troopers said. The driver lost control in the rain, and the car hit a tree in a center median.
Danny Hagan, 45, was dead at the scene, and his wife later died at Augusta University Medical Center, according to the Georgia State Patrol.
The couple leaves behind three children, Matthew, Joshua and Madison, all students at Georgia Southern.
"They were my world (and) I will never see another love like my parents had for everyone they met," Madison Hagan said in a public Facebook post.
Credit: GoFundMe
Credit: GoFundMe
In a statement, Georgia Southern said university officials were “deeply saddened by the loss of two members of our Eagle Nation family.”
“The president has reached out to the family, as have student affairs officials to ensure the children know of our concern and our willingness to help in any way,” spokeswoman Jennifer Wise said. “We are prepared to provide support to the children — our students — emotionally and academically with any resources we have. We appreciate greatly the support we have seen for this family and offer our condolences along with the university community.”
Since the accident, support has poured in for the Hagan family. Multiple fundraising accounts have raised tens of thousands of dollars. One campaign has ballooned to more than $40,000 with the support of LSU fans.
Julie Hagan, 43, was the branch manager of the Powerco Federal Credit Union in Savannah, where she worked her way up over a 22-year career. The business has also started a GoFundMe page to help with the Hagan children's education with a goal of $10,000.
Madison Hagan took to Facebook to thank the hundreds who have donated.
“I will never understand why they were taken but we gained two beautiful angels that will watch over us until we meet again,” she said. “Lord knows I cannot wait to see their faces again.”
A funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at Countryside Baptist Church in Guyton.
The primary GoFundMe page for the Hagan children can be found here. A Hagan family fund has also been established at Queensborough National Bank in Rincon. Donations can be made to the fund through Venmo.
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