Aaron Godines and Halie Everts with daughter Tessleigh Godines.Photo: GoFundMe
What began as a birthday celebration turned to tragedy when five Wyoming family members were killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Monday.
Aaron Godines and Halie Everts, engaged high school sweethearts, traveled to Colorado to celebrate his 20th birthday, bringing along their 3-month-old Tessleigh and his parents, according to Fox stationKDVR.
On their way back from Denver, they were rear-ended in a fatal car accident, which none of them survived.
Around 1:30 p.m. on Monday, a semi-truck driving in the left lane of Interstate 25 in Colorado rear-ended a 2015 Ford Edge, “pushing it off the left side of the roadway into the center median,” according to anews releasefrom the Colorado State Patrol. After also rear-ending another vehicle, which then ran into a fourth, investigators believe the semi-truck “struck the Ford Edge a second time.”
The vehicle’s 20-year-old driver, identified as Aaron Godines, was declared dead at a local hospital.
There were no other fatalities associated with the crash, police said. Although the investigation is open, investigators do not believe that drugs, alcohol or speed were factors. As of Friday, no charges have been filed.
The Weld County Coroner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Aaron Godines, Haile Everts and daughter Tessleigh.GoFundMe
Halie’s mother told KDVR that her daughter was supposed to text her when they left Denver, but that she never got a message.
Instead, she found out what happened after seeing a video of the crash and recognizing their car.
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A pair of GoFundMes have been created to help their families.
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Asecond fundraiserwas made on behalf of Aaron’s parents,Emiliano and Christina.
“We are heartbroken as you all may know,” wrote a family member, sharing that their cousins, Christian and Abigail Godines, lost their parents, as well as their brother, sister-in-law and niece.
“They are devastated,” the family member added.
Halie was remembered for her compassion and kindness in a tribute from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Campbell County.
“I have spent the better part of this week trying to find the words to express the heartache I and so many of us at the Club and in our community have been feeling when we learned of the tragic and sudden loss of five beloved members of our community,“wroteexecutive director Nathan Grotrian.
“Halie Everts influenced the lives of so many young people as an employee of the Boys and Girls Club. Her compassion for our members and the kindness she showed others was unmatched. She made a lasting impact on us all, and her life and memory will live on among so many of us,” Grotian added. “I want to express my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to both the Godines and Everts families.”
In his most recent Facebook post, Aaron gave Halie a touching shout-out in honor of her 20th birthday, calling her an “amazing mom and fiancé.““Thank you for being there for me and my daughter,” hewrote. “I couldn’t imagine my life without you.”
source: people.com
