Family identifies 15-year-old killed in crash on North Davis Road
SALINAS, Calif. (KION)
UPDATE 1/13/2020 3:40 p.m. The family of 15-year-old Adrianna Annalie Vergara Juarez identifies her as the passenger killed in a crash on North Davis Road over the weekend.
The driver of the car, who was also 15, was speeding and driving without a permit or licence when they lost control of the vehicle, according to Salinas police.
The group riding in the car were all teenagers. Police said the oldest is 18-years-old and the youngest is 13-years-old.
All of the others in the car survived the crash.
When asked about her daughter, Ramona Juarez Leon described her as happy and charismatic.
“Well, I’m going to remember her as my angel," Leon said. "Dancing, singing...She loved music.”
But now, all she has are videos to remember that personality.
Leon says she heard a knock at the door around 4:00am on Saturday morning. It was the police, telling her that her daughter had died in a car accident.
“We all feel her loss, because she was a good girl," Leon said. "She was a good advice-giver. Very positive. Very joyful.”
Adrianna's family says they did not know where she was going that night. They didn't know the other passengers in the car, either. They also said this made the news all the more shocking.
“I was honestly in shock about it," Adrianna's sister, Annette Juarez, said. "I wasn’t even able to cry because I was in Shock about it. I just stood still and I told her ‘I’ll be on my way.’”
PREVIOUS STORY: Flowers and candles lay at the site of a horrific accident that took the life of a 15-year-old, this weekend.
Police said the driver, who is also just 15-years-old, was speeding down North Davis Road when they lost control of the vehicle. The car crashed and landed on its roof.
"It's just scary to think that a split second decision takes lives,” said Prunedale resident, Karla Jones.
A report from the Salinas Police Department revealed the car’s four other occupants, including the driver, survived the crash. Officers said one teen was taken to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for a leg injury. The rest received treatment, locally, at Natividad Medical Center.
"We raised our kids and taught them how to drive and be responsible. In a few years our grandkids are going to be driving. It's scary,” said Jones.
The group riding in the car were all teenagers. Police said the oldest is 18-years-old and the youngest is 13-years-old.
Video from the night of the crash showed damage to the wall bordering the Salinas Auto Center, and a downed tree. "Based on the skid marks, and some of the evidence that was out there, it appeared that the vehicle did strike the tree and, possibly, the wall,” said Commander Brian Johnson with the Salinas Police Department.
On Sunday, the wall was partially repaired with a tarp, but a reminder still noticeable to those driving by.
"It was life that was taken too early,” said Salinas resident, Sandra Oliverez.
"I don't wish this on any parent, friend, or sibling. It's horrendous. I can't imagine what these families are going through,” said Jones.
Salinas Police are still investigating this crash.
