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‘Pretty Little Liars’ Actress Reveals Drunk Driver Killed Father-In-Law Weeks Before Her Wedding
“Words can’t explain the feeling of losing someone to something so senseless ... something that could have been prevented,” Janel Parrish wrote on Instagram.
Actress Janel Parrish tied the knot with her fiancé Chris Long earlier this month, but the happy occasion was preceded by unexpected tragedy when her partner’s father was killed by a drunk driver just weeks before the ceremony.
The “Pretty Little Liars” alum shared her story in an Instagram post on Saturday.
“A few weeks ago, we got the awful news that my now father in law was tragically killed by a drunk driver on his beloved Sunday motorcycle ride,” she wrote. “Words can’t explain the feeling of losing someone to something so senseless... something that could have been prevented.”
Parrish’s post asked readers to consider donating to Mothers Against Drunk Driving “to help make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.” According to the donation campaign Parrish linked to, her father-in-law, Herbert “Buck” Long, was killed while riding his motorcycle on Aug. 26 after an “18-year-old intoxicated driver” crashed into him “head on,” only to flee the scene and hide in a ravine before eventually being found by police. Long, who was 74 years old, was killed instantly.
Fans took to Parrish’s social media accounts to share their sympathy — and their stories.
“We lost my cousin a few weeks ago (different circumstances but just as suddenly) so I know how you guys must be feeling right now,” one Twitter user, @Kaaaaatie_x, wrote. “You’re all so brave to share this and I hope it helps stop somebody else out there from going through it too.”
Others shared their condolences for Parrish and her new husband.
“Janel I am so sorry! I will be sending prayers for Chris, you and the family,” Twitter user @jessmpainter13 wrote.
According to People, Parrish and Long wed on Sept. 8 in an outdoor ceremony in Hawaii at Kualoa Ranch, a location well-known for being a filming location for “Jurassic Park.”
[Photo: Janel Parrish attends the Screening Of Netflix’s “To All The Boys I've Loved Before” at Arclight Cinemas Culver City on August 16, 2018 in Culver City, California. By JB Lacroix/WireImage via Getty Images]
