The worst storm in Macon County history was followed just two days later on Thursday, February 7 by a six-vehicle accident on Hwy. 52-west which tragically killed Lafayette United Methodist Church Pastor Michael Welch, 52, his wife, Julie, 45, and their two young children, son Jesse, age 14 and daughter Hannah, age 11.

The Welch family was traveling toward Lafayette, after devoting time to relief work with Tuesday night's storm victims, when the family's Honda van was crushed between two tractor trailer rigs in a six-vehicle chain reaction smash up, which occurred at about 2:15 p.m.

Doug Becker, 46, and his wife. Diane Becker, 43, were seriously injured in the same accident, but were traveling separately in a Chevy pickup truck at the time of the incident. Becker and his wife were reported to be in a Trauma unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Friday, but the couple's injuries were described by a member of their church as "not life threatening."

According to a preliminary THP accident investigation report, a line of vehicles was stopped in the eastbound lane "due to heavy traffic" traveling through a tornado damage zone near Lafayette when a fully loaded Wal-Mart semi-tractor driven by Gerald Judd, 51, Horse Cave, KY, struck the Welch's van in the rear. The Welch family vehicle then crashed into a pickup truck driven by Doug Becker, which in turn struck an empty semi-truck driven by Jerry Gilbert, 30, London, KY.

The Becker's pickup was knocked off onto the grassy shoulder on the south side of the road, with the injured couple pinned inside.

Two additional vehicles were involved in the accident but injuries were minor and the drivers and passengers and their vehicles came to a rest on the westbound side of the highway in the emergency lane off the actual roadway.

Pastor Michael Welch and his family suffered fatal injuries at the scene. The Honda van came to a rest between a jack-knifed empty semi-truck and the full Wal-Mart truck in the eastbound emergency lane. The Becker vehicle had been rammed into a Volvo semi-truck driven by Jerry Gilbert, 30, London, KY.

The road was blocked to east-west traffic for several hours Thursday afternoon. THP Capt. Vic Donoho, a veteran trooper and a native of Macon County, said it was the worst traffic accident he had seen in his 20 year career.

Former Lafayette Methodist Church Pastor Amanda Diamond came to Lafayette, along with Methodist Church district superintendent Ron Lowery, to comfort parishioners.

Rev. Amanda Diamond preceded Pastor Welch at the Lafayette Methodist Church on Bratton Avenue, and she preached the regular Worship Service this Sunday.