A Kendallville mother asks for help in getting daughter's remains back to Indiana

KENDALLVILLE, Ind. (WANE) - A Kendallville mother is hoping the community can help her get her daughter's body home from Florida.

Last Saturday, 25-year-old Lucindi Sueann Lane was killed after being struck by a car while walking across a bridge connecting Tampa to St. Petersburg, Fla.

"He said I'm sorry to tell you that your daughter had died at 5 a.m. this morning in Florida," Linda Hines, Lane's mother, said. "My hands just went up in the air and said 'O Lord. O Lord' this is not happening."

Hines, she said her daughter had lived in Florida before and just wanted to go back.

"It was about four days before she left," Hines said. "She called me and we talked. She called me about three or four times, and she said mom I just want to get away and just go visit."

However, after being in Florida a week, Lane had run out of money. She called her grandmother from a bus station asking for help. Her grandmother told her to get to a safe place until she could wire money. That's when Lane started walking across a 6 mile-long bridge as well as eight lane highway. A place police say pedestrians should not be.

"She was going to go to town to get help," Hines said.

Now, CrossPointe Family Church in Kendallville has set up a memorial fund to help the family with funeral arrangements and getting Lane's remains back to Indiana.

Donations may be sent to CrossPointe Family Church at P.O. Box 67, Kendallville, IN 46755, and people can mark "Lane Memorial" in the memo.

"When we celebrate together we celebrate, and when we suffer together, we suffer, and we need to help one another out," said Pastor Richard Secor of CrossPointe Church.

Hines is hoping she will be able to get her daughter back home and laid to rest in time for Lane's birthday which is next Friday, Dec. 21.