Three people died in a chain-reaction crash in Richardson and now we’ve learned one of the victims is a 19 year-old from Nashville, Tennessee who was in town for a wedding.
Three people died in a chain-reaction crash in Richardson and one of the victims is a 19-year-old college student from Nashville, Tennessee who was in town for a wedding.
Brothers Hamdi and Hamzah Khalid said their sister, Aliyah Khalid, was killed. They describe her as a funny, loving, charismatic future physician’s assistant who attended Middle Tennessee State University.
The wreck happened when the SUV she was in stalled in the HOV lane on Highway 75 near Renner Road just before midnight.
The brothers say several friends and relatives were at a café prior to the accident.
Before police arrived, they say some people got out of the SUV before it was rear-ended by a sedan.
“Then another car hit them as well which ended up making it fatal but at the end of the day we're just thankful two of my sisters are here today, they're alive, they’re going to get better,” said Hamzah Khalid.
Police say two people in the sedan that struck the SUV, 27-year-old Haley Taylor and her 6-year-old daughter, were killed. An online fundraiser has been set up to cover funeral and memorial expenses for the mother and daughter.
Several others are hospitalized including another one of the Khalid's sisters whose life they say was saved by a third sister who they call a hero.
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“As soon as she saw a car speeding towards them, she tried to get as many people out of the way as she could,” explained Hamdah Khalid.
The brothers say they spent hours calling hospitals when their sisters never returned to their Airbnb.
“We were on a wild goose chase,” recalled Hamdi Khalid. “Whenever we heard the news it was just heartbreaking.”
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The siblings and parents say they'll return to Tennessee as soon as possible to lay Aliyah to rest. They've set up an online fundraiser to help with funeral and medical costs.
Until then, they say they’ll lean on each other and their faith to overcome an unforgettable trip, for all the wrong reasons.
“Seeing her leave like this just really put a big hole in our hearts,” said Hamdi.
Seven others were hospitalized after the crash.
