Georgia family of five killed in small plane crash upstate New York
Two young boys who perished alongside their parents and grandfather in a plane crash following a baseball tournament in upstate New York are being remembered as star athletes with promising futures.
James Van Epps, 12, and Harrison Van Epps, 10, were killed along with their parents, Laura and Ryan Van Epps, both 42, and their maternal grandfather, Roger Beggs, when their plane crashed on Sunday afternoon in Masonville.
“It’s just a massive tragedy for our family and the end of five great lives, especially young lives,” said their paternal grandfather, Jim Van Epps. The family was flying back to their home in Milton, Georgia, after watching James play in a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
James and Harrison were both gifted athletes and students. Harrison, just 10 years old, was an up-and-coming lacrosse player. “Ryan and Laura supported their boys in whatever endeavor they wanted to do,” Jim Van Epps added.
Beggs, who held a pilot’s license, had volunteered to fly the family to New York and stayed to watch his grandson’s tournament. The single-engine Piper PA-46 crashed around 2 p.m. on Sunday, shortly after taking off from a regional airport in Oneonta. The wreckage was found in Masonville, about 125 miles northwest of New York City.
The Oneonta Women’s Softball league paid tribute to James and his family in a moving Facebook post: “Tonight, we take a moment of silence for Cooperstown All Star Village ball player JR Van Epps and his four family members who lost their lives in a tragic plane crash. Never forget to hold those you cherish close; they can be gone in an instant.” The team shared an image of their gear laid out in James’s initials as part of the tribute.
The Van Epps family also honored their loved ones on Facebook: “In the wake of a heartbreaking tragedy, we mourn the loss of our family. Ryan, Laura, James Ryan, Harrison Van Epps, and Laura’s father Roger Beggs were involved in a fatal plane crash, and our hearts are broken.”
“As we grapple with this unimaginable loss, let us come together to remember and celebrate the beautiful lives they lived. Their kindness, laughter, and love will forever be etched in our hearts,” the statement continued. “Please keep their loved ones and our family in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. May we find strength and solace in the memories and the outpouring of love from all who knew them.”
The plane was headed to Cobb County International Airport in Atlanta with a fueling stop in West Virginia when it crashed. Officials have not yet determined the cause of the crash. Neighbors described the family as “the kindest” and “sweetest.”
“We were neighbors. We would see each other every day and we’d always say hi to the boys. They just lived across the street, and we would always wave and say hi. They were lovely,” neighbor Caroline Slayton told Atlanta News First. “We’re all just devastated. They were the kindest family and the sweetest people.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp expressed his condolences on social media, saying, “Our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved them.”
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
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