A Phelan family is mourning after losing two of their young family members in a devastating car crash.
The tragic collision occurred on Friday, Jan. 26, when 18-year-old Alexandra Puentes was driving her 13-year-old sister, 12-year-old cousin, and 1-year-old niece home after school.
"The last thing I remember was seeing the white van in the rearview mirror, and that is all I can remember," said Puentes. "We just can't believe someone was too distracted to not notice us in the car."
According to reports from the CHP, Alexandra was navigating her Toyota Camry on Phelan Road, slowing down to make a left turn onto Nevada when a Ford van slammed into and rear-ended them.
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Puentes woke up in the hospital with multiple injuries, as did her 12-year-old cousin. It was then that she learned both her 13-year-old sister, Gulliana, and her 1-year-old niece, Analia, had lost their lives in the crash.
Puentes expressed, "We are all in shock and heartbroken."
In overwhelming grief, the family is attempting to focus on happier times. The family described Gulliana as a girl who loved and cared for her friends, adorned herself in fun clothes and enjoyed trips to Starbucks.
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One-year-old Analia, the baby of the family, was known for her love of dancing and eating tortillas.
"They took my babies. I keep on thinking it wasn't real, and then I wake up and see my face, and it was real," said Puentes.
The California Highway Patrol says the cause of the crash is under investigation.
