Three people died in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 75 Thanksgiving night.

The crash occurred at about 10 p.m. on I-75 in Hillsborough County. 

Troopers said a Toyota Corolla driven by Justin Lakin, 21, was traveling northbound in the southbound center lane of I-75, just south of Gibsonton Drive and struck a Ford Focus head-on. 

Lakin and the two occupants of the Ford Focus — LaShay Waiters, 24, and Yvette Alexandre, 21 — were transported to Tampa General Hospital where they died. 

Couple engaged, expecting child

Waiters and Alexandre met at UCF and were at the time of the crash engaged to be married. Two weeks ago, they learned Alexandre would be having a child.

Her parents, Yves and Suzette Alexandre, told us their daughter was afraid they might be disappointed.

"We told her she could never disappoint us," Suzette said.

"It was the last conversation we had with her," Yves added. "She was a good girl. I'm not just saying that because she was my daughter. She did well in school, never got in any trouble and graduated high school with honors."

The couple had Thanksgiving dinner with a friend from Tampa and were driving home at the time of the crash.

Yves told us he couldn't understand how the wrong-way driver ended up heading northbound in the southbound lanes.

"I have nothing but questions," said Yves. "I do not want to defame the driver. His family is grieving too. But I'm struggling with with how anyone who is sober could miss the fact that they took an on-ramp that would put them in direct contact with opposite traffic."

Troopers said they are unsure at what time the Corolla began driving in the wrong direction. 

The southbound lanes of I-75 were closed for several hours after the crash.