Hundreds of people gathered at the Artesia overpass overlooking the 710 Freeway in Long Beach on Wednesday for a candlelight vigil to remember five people killed in a single-vehicle crash earlier in the week.
The crash occurred around 4 a.m. in northbound lanes near the 91 Freeway interchange, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities say the driver of the Hyundai Sonata appeared to be speeding when they lost control and slammed into the barriers, flipping the vehicle which led to an explosion. The horrific accident was captured on dash cam video.
At the vigil, mourners remembered the victims, including 15-year-old Ariahh Slemaker.
“I woke up and she was gone,” Ariahh’s mom, Amanda Lopez, told KTLA. “I’m hurting, my family, her sisters, everybody that loved her.”
Ariahh’s uncle, William Pearson, said he feels for his brother and his niece’s mom, saying no parent should ever have to bury their child.
“We just miss her,” Lopez said. “I’m expecting her to walk through the door and be like, ‘It’s a joke.’ She was funny. And when I got that phone call, it was the worst thing in my life. Never think it would happen to your kid.”
Nathan Orozco, a friend of the victims, said it’s difficult to put into words the fact that they’re gone.
“We had much love for them and to know they’re gone, it’s like I don’t know how you explain,” he said.
Ariahh’s best friend and fellow Lakewood High School classmate, 15-year-old George Dobbs, was also killed in the crash.
“George was actually at my house on Saturday,” Lopez said. “They were hanging out. He was a sweet kid. He’d text me to make sure she was all right, she was home.”
Officials with the California Highway Patrol said that some of the passengers were not wearing their seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle. The lone survivor of the crash, identified only as a male, was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
Loved ones, just days later, are still trying to make sense of the unimaginable loss.
“I’ve seen them almost every day,” Kian Trias, a friend of the victims, said. “They were always full of energy, always trying to bring people up, bring good energy, never put anybody down.”
Some of the victims have yet to be identified, and officials with the California Highway Patrol are urging anyone who may have witnessed the crash to come forward.
Family members and friends have setup GoFundMe campaigns for both Ariahh Slemaker and George Dobbs.