Riley Danard and his best friend Khalea Theouk were driving home from his 18th birthday party in late March when they were killed by a drunk driver on the West Seattle Bridge.
Now, as that driver faces criminal charges, community members are mourning the loss of two young people described as inseparable, KING 5 reports.
Shortly after midnight on March 22, traffic cameras recorded a white truck hurtling past in what authorities estimated was around 100 miles per hour. The truck crossed a concrete barrier and sped toward oncoming traffic in the wrong lane before slamming into Danard and Theouk, causing their vehicle’s hood to bend into the front windshield.
Bystanders ran over to help and attempted to open the vehicle doors as emergency crews rushed to the scene, but the teens were pronounced dead.
Authorities allege that the truck’s driver, 36-year-old Delfino Lopez-Morales, had a blood-alcohol content almost twice the legal limit three hours after the crash, and that he also tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. He has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.
Lopez-Morales, who is still recovering from injuries caused by the crash, is scheduled to appear in court June 15 for arraignment.
Meanwhile, loved ones of the victims are mourning their loss.
“I will never get over the loss of my sweet son Riley and his best friend Khalea. This is a nightmare I’ll never wake up from,” Kristie Danard, Danard’s mother, told KING 5.
“He was the kindest, most gentle, and loving young man with an incredibly bright future. Riley and Khalea were the most amazing people you could ever meet. They loved each other so much.”
Danard graduated from Snohomish High School in 2022, and Thoeuk was a senior at the school this year, the Everett Herald reports. Kelsey Brogan, Theouk’s lifelong friend, said Theouk was an honors student who loved to learn.
“I think she was an angel. And we got to have her here with us for, you know, as long as we got her. But it wasn’t enough. She was the most beautiful, kind, empathetic soul you ever met. It doesn’t make sense,” Brogran told KING 5.
Community members raised about $67,000 to help cover funeral and memorial expenses for the pair.
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[Feature Photo: GoFundMe]
