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NEED TO KNOW
- Influencer Keeley Whitcomb announced the deaths of her two children, Ryder, 7, and Laynee Rae, 10, in a TikTok posted on Sept. 16
- According to reports from local news stations in Hastings, Neb., where the crash occurred, the two children were pronounced dead at the scene on Monday, Sept. 15, and Keeley’s husband, Blake Whitcomb, was transported to a local hospital for treatment
- “Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Keeley wrote in her post
Influencer Keeley Whitcomb is opening up about the tragic deaths of her two children, following a car crash on Sept. 15.
Keeley, who posted frequently online about all things Disney as well as her role as a travel agent for Dreams Travel Consulting, took to TikTok to share the tragic news, revealing that her husband is also in the intensive care unit.
Writing over a photo of herself shared on the platform, the content creator said, “To my friends who follow me: yesterday was the worst day of my life. An accident has taken my two children from me, and put my husband in the intensive care unit. Consider me out of the Disney office.”
According to reports from NTV News and KLKN-TV, local Nebraska news stations, the Adams County Sheriff’s Department responded to the two-vehicle crash at an uncontrolled intersection on a rural road near Hastings.
A pickup truck driven by Blake Whitcomb, Keeley’s husband, 33, collided with a farm silage truck operated by Dale Feik, 66, according to the outlets.
Both drivers were transported to the nearby Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital for treatment.
According to the reports, two young passengers, aged 7 and 10, traveling in the pickup truck were pronounced dead at the scene.
After her initial post, Keeley took to the platform to share two tributes for each of her children. In one, honoring her daughter, Laynee Rae, Keeley shared photos of the 10-year-old, writing, “10 years was not long enough for me.”
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“Forever on my mind, my Laynee Rae. 9/15/2025,” read the post’s caption.
In another video, Keeley shared moments with her stepson, Ryder, writing, “Once upon a time, I met a boy. I fell in love with him the moment I met him.”
“Though I didn’t know him all his life, I got to know him 3 years,” the travel agent, who often managed Disney-related travel trips at her work, wrote.
“Being a step-parent is a whole different kind of love. 9/15/2025,” she captioned the post.
PEOPLE has reached out to the family for comment.
Cheryl Gardner, Ryder’s grandmother, also posted a message to Facebook, sharing photos of Ryder, writing, “Yesterday, Heaven got a new angel. Fly high Ryder and thank you for blessing me, if only for a short time. God has bigger plans for you my little buddy.”
