DETROIT _ Michigan communities are in mourning after a family of 5 from Northville, Mich., was killed in a fiery crash caused by a wrong-way driver on I-75 in Lexington, Ky., early Sunday morning.
Attorney and real estate agent Issam Abbas, 42, his wife Dr. Rima Abbas, 38 and their three children: Ali, 14, Isabella, 13, and Giselle, 7, were identified by the Fayette County Coroner, who said they were returning to Michigan from a trip to Florida when tragedy struck.
The driver of the pickup truck that was reportedly driving south in the northbound lanes of I-75 when it struck the Abbas family's SUV was also killed in the crash, and identified as Joey Lee Bailey, 41, of Georgetown, Kentucky.
According to Lexington police, the crash happened around 2:30 a.m., about a mile before the Man o' War Boulevard exit.
Bailey is believed to have been driving under the influence, but the coroner said toxicology results were pending Sunday afternoon.
The family was honored in a condolences service at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn on Sunday night, and the mosque announced services for the family scheduled throughout the week on Facebook.
A visitation is set for Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the mosque, services will be Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to noon and the burial is scheduled to immediately follow at the Islamic Memorial Gardens on Ann Arbor Trail in Westland.
A fatiha prayer service will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. at the mosque, and commemoration services or esbouh, will be Sunday at 4 p.m.
Rana Abbas Taylor, director of communications for ACCESS and the sister of Issam Abbas, told the Free Press Sunday night: "We remain in shock and we are beyond devastated."
Numerous messages of condolence, support and rememberance were widely-shared on social media throughout Sunday as organizations and individuals honored the tragic loss of the Northville family.
Dr. Rima Abbas, specialized in family medicine and practiced in the Beaumont Medical Center in Garden City, the hospital said her office will be closed Monday.
David Wood, Beaumont Health chief medical officer, called the loss tragic in a statement.
"(Dr. Rima Abbas) was a caring mother and a dedicated family practice physician. Our hearts go out to all of her family, friends and patients during this difficult time."
