Ja’Vae Thomas, DeMarco Tapplar, Demonte Brady Jr. And Khiel Ivory Obituary, CINCINNATI, Ohio — Ja’Vae Thomas, 19, was among four young men who died after a vehicle crashed through a guardrail and plunged into Mill Creek in Cincinnati over the weekend. The devastating crash also claimed the lives of DeMarco Tapplar, 22, Demonte Brady Jr., 19, and Khiel Ivory, 21. A fifth person survived the incident.
The fatal crash happened shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday near Queen City Avenue in Cincinnati’s South Fairmount neighborhood. According to Cincinnati police, the vehicle was traveling toward a dead-end section of the roadway when it struck a guardrail and went into Mill Creek.
Emergency crews responded after receiving reports that a vehicle had entered the water. A surviving passenger, identified as Siearra Franklin, told firefighters that four other people remained trapped inside the submerged vehicle and had been in the water for approximately an hour.
Rescue crews eventually removed Thomas and the other three victims from the vehicle and brought them to shore. Emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures, but all four were pronounced dead at the scene.
Franklin described the crash as happening extremely quickly and said she did not fully understand how she managed to escape. She said the vehicle was upside down and quickly filled with water, leaving those inside struggling in darkness and confusion as they tried to find a way out.
Franklin said she used the vehicle’s seats and other parts of the interior to push herself upward before eventually finding an opening through which she escaped. She remained near the scene for approximately an hour after getting out before someone noticed her and called 911.
Among those killed was DeMarco Tapplar, whose mother, Kimberly Tapplar, spoke through tears about the loss of her son. “My son. I just want him back,” she said. Franklin reportedly told Tapplar that DeMarco had been sitting in the passenger seat and had yelled at the driver to slow down shortly before the crash.
The Cincinnati Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. Investigators are considering excessive speed and possible impairment as potential contributing factors, but no definitive cause has been established. Authorities are also examining the roadway and the dead-end area, where a “No Outlet” sign is reportedly posted but no reflectors or flashing warning lights were present. As investigators review evidence and witness accounts, the deaths of Ja’Vae Thomas, DeMarco Tapplar, Demonte Brady Jr. and Khiel Ivory remain a devastating loss, and their memory will be honored by those who knew them.