As reported by The Ekalaka Eagle, a helicopter crash near Ekalaka killed four members of an Illinois family on the evening of October 22nd.
Zachary Bailey, the son of Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, Zachary’s wife Cindy, and two of their children were killed in the crash.
Darren Bailey’s campaign Facebook page released the following statement-
“On Wednesday evening, Darren and his wife, Cindy, received the heartbreaking news no parent ever wants to hear. Their son, Zachary, his wife, Kelsey, and their two young children, Vada Rose, age 12, and Samuel, age 7, tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident in Montana. Their other grandson, Finn, age 10, was not on the helicopter and is safe.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that they are investigating the crash of a Robinson Helicopters R66 in Ekalaka, MT in a post to their Newsroom X account, coinciding with user reports on the Aviation Safety Network that listed the helicopter involved as a Robinson R66 Turbine owned by Bailey Aviation Management LLC.