A Virginia church community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of a young family who died in a tragic crash on Interstate 66 shortly after leaving Sunday services in Washington, D.C.
Paul Liddell, his wife Marlysha Liddell and their 4-year-old daughter, Leilani, were killed when the family’s Honda Pilot crashed into a utility truck on I-66 in Fairfax County. The family lived in Manassas, Virginia, and regularly made the trip to Northwest Washington, D.C., to attend services and spend time with their church family at St. Augustine Catholic Church.
The Liddells were remembered by members of the church as a loving, faith-filled family whose presence brought joy to the congregation.
“It’s not three fatalities; it’s three amazing people that the world has lost,” Monica Gray, a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, told NBC4 Washington.
A Family Rooted in Faith
For the Liddells, Sunday was more than simply attending church. According to parishioners, the family regularly made the long drive from Manassas to Northwest D.C. to attend Sunday Devotion and spend time with their church community.
Their relationship with the congregation left a lasting impression.
Father Patrick A. Smith described the family as people who lived their faith and served as a testimony to those around them. He said the church community had embraced the entire Liddell family.
Marlysha was remembered as a caring mother and a civil rights attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Paul was described as the loving and expressive counterpart to his wife. Church members remembered his powerful voice and the way he openly spoke about the love he had for his family.
Their daughter, Leilani, was just 4 years old. Parishioners described her as a miracle baby who had been born prematurely. She was preparing to begin pre-K when her life was tragically cut short.
Tragedy on I-66
The family left St. Augustine Catholic Church on Sunday and began their drive home to Manassas.
According to Virginia State Police, shortly after 4 p.m., the family’s Honda Pilot was traveling on I-66 when it crashed into the back of a utility truck carrying oxygen tanks.
Investigators said a Toyota 4Runner and the utility truck were involved in the events leading up to the collision. Police said the utility truck had stopped in the right lane for reasons that remain unknown.
The Liddells’ vehicle subsequently struck the truck and caught fire.
All three members of the family inside the Honda Pilot died as a result of the crash.
Two people have been charged with reckless driving in connection with the fatal crash, according to authorities. The investigation remains ongoing as police work to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Church Members Struggle With the Loss
The tragedy has been especially difficult for members of St. Augustine Catholic Church because parishioners had seen the family only moments before they began their journey home.
Monica Gray told NBC4 that she continues to think about watching the family drive away from the church.
She questioned whether something as simple as delaying the family for a few minutes might have changed what happened.
That sense of disbelief and heartbreak has become part of the grieving process for the congregation.
“It would’ve been horrible however they died,” Gray said. “It is especially horrible that it was so violent, and they were such gentle people, such joy-filled people.”
Gray also reflected on the heartbreaking reality that Paul and Marlysha would never have to experience life without their daughter, while Leilani would never have to grow up without her parents.
Remembering Three Lives, Not Three Fatalities
As the investigation continues, the church community is trying to focus on who the Liddells were rather than simply how they died.
For those who knew them, Paul, Marlysha and Leilani represented a loving family deeply connected to their faith and their church.
Their deaths have left an enormous void within the congregation.
Melinda Jennings, another member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, described the loss as a “major blow,” acknowledging that the grief will continue well beyond the immediate aftermath of the crash.
The church is now preparing to face its first Sundays without the family and to support one another through an unimaginable period of grief.
A Community Holding Onto Faith
In the midst of tragedy, church leaders and parishioners are turning to their faith for strength.
Father Smith said the Liddells lived their faith and were a living testimony to the people around them. Their commitment to making the journey from Manassas to Washington each Sunday demonstrated how important their church family was to them.
Now, that same church family is coming together to remember them.
The loss of Paul, Marlysha and Leilani is being felt not only by their relatives and close friends, but also by the congregation that watched their family grow and welcomed them each week.
Their story is a reminder of how quickly life can change and how deeply one family can touch a community.
As the investigation into the I-66 crash continues, the Liddells’ loved ones and church community are left to grieve three lives taken far too soon.
Paul, Marlysha and Leilani Liddell will be remembered not simply as victims of a tragic crash, but as a loving family whose faith, joy and presence left an enduring mark on those who knew them.
