The Dayton family that has experienced four deaths in the past five months had to endure more tragic news Sunday: A fifth member of the family died in a car-truck crash.
Jamila Moreland, 19, was killed in Jefferson Twp. when the 1997 Mercury she was driving was struck by a Chevrolet pickup truck at Frytown Road and Ohio 4.
Her father, Phillip Moreland, 42, committed suicide March 6 at the family's 633 Homewood Ave. house. Her daughter, DaJainae Phillips, was the first of three pre-school children to die at the residence late last year.
"All of these seemingly unrelated tragedies have taken their toll on Regina (Phillip Moreland's widow)," said attorney John Rion, speaking for the Moreland family. "She hasn't had time to grieve."
Phillip Moreland's death was ruled a suicide last week, but the deaths of three children were ruled homicides. DaJainae died Nov. 10. Alexis Marshall, 2, died three days later. And Danatta Moreland, 3, died Dec. 24.
Montgomery County Coroner James H. Davis has ruled all the children died from suffocation or asphyxiation.
No arrests have been made.
The family's most recent tragedy occurred at 1:55 a.m. Sunday, according to Montgomery County Sheriff's office.
Jamila Moreland was travelling west on Frytown, when she pulled away from a stop sign but failed to yield to the pickup truck, which was northbound on Ohio 4.
The truck hit the left side of the car, and both vehicles careened off the west edge of the road, striking eight cars parked near a nightclub.
Moreland, who also lived at 633 Homewood Ave., was taken to Miami Valley Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Theresa Jones, 22, of Dayton, who was a passenger in Moreland's car was also taken to Miami Valley where she was listed in serious condition on Sunday. A third passenger, a 17-year-old female was also taken to a hospital, but no further information on her was available.
The driver of the truck, whose name was unavailable, was treated at Miami Valley Hospital and released.
Case chronology
* NOV. 10: DaJainae Phillips, 1, died at Children's Medical Center. She lived at 633 Homewood Ave. with her grandparents, Phillip and Regina Moreland.
* NOV. 13: DaJainae's cousin, Alexis Marshall, 2, was found not breathing after a family gathering at 633 Homewood Ave. Alexis, who lived at 1333 Wisconsin Blvd., was pronounced dead at Grandview Hospital and Medical Center.
* DEC. 24: Danatta Moreland, 3, was found not breathing at 633 Homewood. Danatta, who lived at 5036 Northcrest Drive, was pronounced dead at Grandview. Four other Moreland children aged 6 to 11 were removed from the home and placed in foster care.
* JAN. 20: Maternal grandmother Cecile O. Marshall was granted temporary custody of the Moreland children.
* FEB. 18: Montgomery County Coroner James H. Davis said the three young girls who died were asphyxiated or suffocated, and rules their deaths homicides.
* MARCH 4: Phillip and Regina Moreland won the right to unrestricted visits with their children.
* MARCH 6: Phillip Moreland, 42, was found dead at 633 Homewood, where he had apparently spent the night alone.
* MARCH 11: Coroner Davis ruled Phillip Moreland committed suicide with an overdose of his wife's antidepressant pills.
* MARCH 15: Phillip Moreland's daughter, Jamila Moreland, 19, who was also the mother of homicide victim DaJainae Phillips, died in a Jefferson Twp. auto accident.
Related
* Three other people were killed in Miami Valley crashes this weekend. 1B
* CONTACT Wendy Hundley at 225-2420 or by e-mail at
wendy_hundley@coxohio.com. Staff writer Charlise Lyles contributed to
this article.