Hundreds attend vigil to remember Northville family killed in Kentucky crash

'I know they're in heaven together,' Mo Abbas said

NORTHVILLE, Mich. – Hundreds of friends, neighbors and community members came out to Ford Field Park to pay their respects to the five members of a Northville family who were killed by a suspected drunken driver in Kentucky.

The Abbas family were traveling on I-75 in Lexington, returning to Michigan from a trip to Florida, when they were hit.

READFuneral service today for Abbas family killed in crash on I-75 in Kentucky

Issam Abbas, his wife Rima and their three children were killed in the crash. Ali Abbas, 14, Isabella Abbas, 13, and Giselle Abbas, 7, all attended Northville schools.

“I guess in a way this is the only way this could have happened,” said Mo Abbas. “I can’t imagine Issam without Rima or Rima without Issam  and I know they’re in heaven together.”

The family had deep ties to Dearborn and were well-known in the Muslim community. Issam, 42, was a lawyer and realtor. Rima, 38, was a doctor.

“Rima and Issam absolutely loved this community and those children loved being a part  of this community,” Rana Abbas-Taylor said.


About the Authors:

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.