OAK HARBOR, Wash. — A Whidbey Island family is mourning their 15-year-old daughter, Grace Horn, who died in a car crash early Monday morning while driving in dense fog on State Route 20 near Coupeville.
According to the Washington State Patrol, Grace lost control of the car and crossed into the opposite lanes, leaving the roadway and hitting a pole. Sadly, she died at the scene. Patrol troopers identified the cause as "speeds too fast for the conditions."
Grace's parents, Jacob and Jennifer Horn of Oak Harbor said their beloved daughter was only trying to make some money to buy Christmas presents.
"She was so full of love and compassion that it often clouded her judgment," said Jennifer Horn.
Grace’s family said she was delivering food orders on Monday despite foggy conditions.
At the time, her parents thought she was safe in her bed, but Grace had other plans. Jennifer Horn said, "She had a goal in mind. She was on a mission. She was making money. She was gonna buy her gifts and have them ready for Christmas... She loved Christmas."
The parents said the pain of their loss is "insurmountable." They describe their daughter as a peacekeeper with a hilarious sense of humor.
"She's just witty. Like, so, so witty," said Jennifer Horn.
Jacob Horn added, "Yeah, silly, just doing stuff, saying things, whatever she could do to get a laugh and make people happy."
The loving parents were supposed to be spending this week wrapping presents for her to open.
"We've got boxes in the mail. We're getting emails that they're in transit, and it's just another reminder, and it's just, it's been really hard," Jennifer Horn said.
Both parents said Grace was deeply loved by all who knew her.
"If there's a bully at school, she'll give them candy or something to try and promote peace. Like, she, she always wants peace and and she told me she's like, 'Well, Mom, I don't know if maybe he has a bad life at home, and maybe that's why he's mean,'" said Jennifer Horn.
This Christmas, and every Christmas to come, Grace's parents plan to honor her legacy by doing what she did best: "Putting a lot more effort into making others' lives better," said Jennifer Horn.
Grace's family says she was delivering DoorDash orders when she crashed.
The company sent us a statement saying, "This is an unthinkable and horrible tragedy, and our hearts go out to Grace's parents and all who loved her." DoorDash also said Dashers have to be at least 18 to deliver for them in Washington and that Grace was using someone else's account.
Grace's sudden passing has left a grieving family with the responsibility of paying for a funeral.
However, the community is rallying around the Horns, raising more than $10,000 so far through an online fundraiser created to help with the financial aspect of her funeral proceedings.