A pastor and his wife from a church in the US state of Texas have been killed in a horrific car accident.
According to a statement released by Crossroads Church in Odessa, executive pastor Kenny Comstock, 35, and his wife Melissa, 34, were involved in a fatal collision in the state of New Mexico as they travelled to the village of Ruidoso.
State police said that the incident took place on Thursday evening when a vehicle travelling east on U.S. 380 crossed the central reservation and ploughed head-on into the Comstock's pickup truck. Kenny was killed instantly, while Melissa was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Incredibly, the couple's three young children — aged six, four and one — survived the crash and are currently receiving treatment for their injuries. While one of the children had to undergo brain surgery following the accident, they are all expected to make a full recovery.
"There is no easy way to deliver news like this... I am broken-hearted to inform you that Kenny and Melissa did not survive the accident," Crossroad's lead pastor Jeremiah Ramer wrote in a Facebook post. "Their children Natalie and Carver, both survived with some scrapes and bruises. Camden, sustained head injuries, underwent surgery, and is expected to make a full recovery.
“In moments like this we turn to the Word of God and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, ‘The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.’
"Please pray for God's comfort for Kenny and Melissa's families as they mourn the loss of their son and daughter, brother, and sister. Continue to pray for their children, who are beginning life without their mom and dad… We will walk this difficult road together in the Lord.”
Speaking to the Odessa American about the incident, Ramer added: “It doesn’t matter when these things happen. They happen and you are never ready for them. You are never prepared. You look to the Lord and trust Him and try to find a bit of hope in what feels like a hopeless situation.”