PLANT CITY, Fla. — A community was left shattered over the loss of a 17-year-old and five others taken in a serious accident Saturday night.
It happened off US-92 and Jim Lefler Circle. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says seven people were headed to a birthday party when the driver of the SUV didn't stop at a private railroad crossing. The train conductor tried to warn the driver before they collided.
On Sunday morning, it was announced that the driver died from his injuries. He was 52-year-old Jose G. Hernandez. The other following people also died in the crash:
- Enedelia Hernandez, 50
- Jakub A. Lopez, 17
- Alyssa Hernandez, 17
- Anaelia Hernandez, 22
- Julian Hernandez, 9
On Tuesday evening, the Plant City community remembered Jakub Lopez at a memorial along with his family.
"He was so pure. He was pure just love," said Julio Lopez, his older brother.
At just 17 years old, Jakub Lopez had a light that couldn't be dimmed.
"He could sing, even though he didn't think he could. He was so funny, so creative. He was the most creative person I knew," Lopez said.
He was an artist through his music and art on canvas. The Plant City High School junior was set to graduate early this year. The teen just turned 17 at the beginning of the month and worked at Chick-fil-A.
"We're content that we let him express himself and who he was. That was my son," his father said to the crowd. "He wanted a bug and I said, 'No get something nicer!' He wanted that particular bug and it took me months to find it."
It's the car they wanted him to take to a birthday party Saturday night.
"I was home with my family, my wife and kids and I got a call saying that Jakub had been in the accident. I didn't know for sure. I thought there's no way you know, it can be Jakub," Lopez said.
The accident happened 15 minutes away from the private railroad crossing. Deputies say the train conductor tried to avoid hitting the car that had all seven people inside.
"My father called me crying saying that the deputies had gone to their house and told him that Jakub was in the accident and that he had passed away. It still doesn't feel real. I'm still expecting him to walk through my garage door," Lopez said.
Jakub wanted to be with Alyssa Hernandez and her family that night.
"He drove his car to their house and got in the car with him. It's just they were meant to be together. That's what it feels like," Lopez said.
The two were good friends and she was his sixth-grade crush. Both were killed with four of her family members. Guillermo Gama, 23, is the only survivor still in the hospital, but showing signs of improvement.
"My parents know the Hernandez family. My parents went to school with the mother who was in the accident as well, so we're not only mourning Jakub, we're mourning everybody that was in the accident," Lopez said.
Tuesday night, each person was remembered through prayer and candles. As they watched balloons fly high, his parents remembered their son – a young man who left a mark on the community.
"We're not gonna let anybody forget you," Lopez said.
Jakub's family is raising funds for his funeral. If you'd like to support them, you can here. There is a prayer service for Jakub and the Hernandez family at Saint Clements Church in Plant City at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27. Everyone is encouraged to attend.