It wasn't just the voices of the Goodman family that caught the attention of people around the world. Those who stopped to listen to the family of 14 commented, not just on their talent, but on what a large and happy family they were.
They sang at a U.N. conference in Istanbul, Turkey, last summer. And in November at a similar gathering in Rome, the entire family sang "I Am a Child of God," in Italian, for the pope.Back home in Utah, the family had dozens of singing engagements lined up for the holiday season. Those plans abruptly and tragically ended Sunday afternoon.
Steven Goodman, 48, was driving home from an LDS ward about 3:40 p.m. with five of his children in one of the family's cars - a small, red Dihatsu.
Investigators believe he missed a stop sign as he traveled east on 11400 South through an intersection at 700 East. A full-size pick-up truck hit the subcompact car killing three of the children instantly.
David Goodman, 12, LeAnne Goodman, 10, and Peter Goodman, 11, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff's deputy Larry Stratford said they didn't think any of the Goodmans were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident.
"We're still not 100 percent sure where everybody was sitting," he said. David Goodman was thrown from the car, and the other two children who died were partially ejected from the car, he said.
Steven Goodman and two other daughters, Andrea, 15, and Aimee, 8, were all critically injured. Steven and Andrea were taken to Alta View Hospital and later flown to LDS Hospital. Aimee was flown to Primary Children's Medical Center, where she was still listed as critical Monday morning.
Steven Goodman's wife, Claudia, said she's sure the children were wearing their seat belts because they always wore them. Strat-ford said investigators hadn't been able to talk with Steven Goodman yet about what happened and to ask if those in the car were wearing safety restraints.
The accident has prompted debate about the safety of the intersection, which was apparently scheduled to have a traffic light installed. (See story on A2.) Stratford believes, however, Steven Goodman must also bear some responsibility for the crash. No citations have been issued in the crash.
"Everybody is blaming the stop sign," he said. "The problem is not the stop sign in this case. The problem is driver error."
In addition to a clearly visible stop sign, he said there is another sign about 200 feet before the intersection warning drivers of the upcoming stop. He also believes that while seat belts might not have saved the children from injury, they could have saved their lives.
The driver of the truck, Rodney Erickson, 37, and his four children, ages 3 to 12, received only minor injuries. They were all treated at a local hospital and released Sunday night, Stratford said.
Claudia Goodman was crying as she spoke to the Deseret News Monday morning. Still, she said, "I know the family will be fine. On the way to the hospital, I had a powerful reassurance that this is God's will. It is in his hands."
The Goodman parents are members of United Families International, a pro-life lobbying group, headquartered in Utah. One year ago they decided to take their children to Istanbul to the U.N. conference.
They came to Turkey not to talk politics but to bear a singing witness to the power of a happy family, said Claudia Goodman at the time. "We have this rally song, `Remember the children who look to you to keep tomorrow free.' "
They got such a warm reception they came home and began trying to raise money to go to Rome. According to Mary Barton, a spokeswoman for United Families, the Goodman parents planned to take their children on as many singing engagements as possible for the next two years. After that, they planned to leave the lobbying and show business to others and to return to their previous less-hectic family life.
The Turkish people were especially charmed by Aimee, 8, and LeAnne, who was 9, at the time. LeAnne had never before been asked for her autograph. But she was asked all the time in Istanbul.
David, 12, said he made friends with a 12-year-old Turkish girl as well as numerous teenage boys. He was curious about their lives, asking them as many questions as they asked him.
People who watched them when they were on tour were struck by one thing: The Goodman children were as sunny off-stage as on. Dressed alike, packing their gear in and out of vans and hotel rooms, none of them ever appeared to be having a grumpy day or wishing they were not with their family.
"I know that family quite well," said David Campbell, city manager of Draper. "I do some volunteer work at the prison, and the Goodmans were scheduled to come out to the prison to perform three singing dates for Christmas."
Campbell said the Goodmans are very well-known in the area for their singing. "They are a tremendous family, I am telling you," Campbell said.
It is painful now to think about the future, said Claudia Goodman, "We will take a different course than we planned. But the children we lost are not really lost. They will still sing with us. We will have some angel voices."