TRAGEDY

Horror Crash Kills 3 Members of Reality-Show Family

The family jeep collided with a semi-truck, killing three and injuring five others.

The family who appeared on the TLC series Meet the Putmans was in a car crash Friday, leaving three members dead and five hospitalized. The family announced that grandparents Bill “Papa” Putman and Barb “Neenee” Putman, as well as their daughter-in-law Megan Putman, died from their injuries following the crash in Tuscola County. “I come to you with a heavy heart asking for your prayers,” the family announced in a statement. “Our family was in a tragic car accident and we lost Papa, Neenee, and Aunt Megan. They have gone home to be with the Lord.” Eight members of the family were in a Jeep when a semi-truck ran through a stop sign and collided with their vehicle near Cass City, according to the Tuscola County Sheriff’s Office. Megan Putnam’s husband Blake, and their three children, Lulu, Alena, and Noah and niece Gia were injured in the crash. “Of the 8 occupants in the Jeep, 3 were pronounced deceased on scene. All other occupants of the Jeep were transported to respective hospitals by helicopter and [ambulance], some in critical condition,” wrote authorities. Meet the Putmans aired on TLC in 2017 and centered around the multi-generational family living under one roof. The show ran for only one season, but the Putmans continued to document their lives on YouTube with their channel, “Growing Up Putman” in 2021.