DETROIT – Family members are remembering two young girls killed in a car crash over the weekend near 7 Mile Road and Gratiot Avenue.
Police say the driver, who was at fault, was speeding when he drove straight into the family car.
Family members say these two young girls had so much to live for.
On Wednesday (Aug. 27) night, they gathered for a balloon release.
The people there were heartbroken, gathering to remember these two girls who had their lives stripped away from them.
Local 4 was informed by investigators that the driver was traveling at a speed exceeding 80 miles per hour, whereas the speed limit is only 35mph.
Hundreds of balloons were sent into the air as a tribute to a family forever shattered by a bad decision made behind the wheel.
Sisters, 8-year-old Savannah and 16-year-old Siyana, were both killed when 41-year-old Amir Khalid crashed into the vehicle being driven by the girls’ grandma.
As you can imagine, it’s an extremely hard time for Sonja Allen, who lost two daughters.
“My kids, were just great kids,” Sonja explained.
It all happened around 2 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 23) morning, near the intersection of Gratiot and August avenues.
Both girls died at the hospital as a result; the grandmother is currently recovering as well.
“When I heard it, it felt like a horror movie. I can’t really describe the feeling,” Jajuan Thompkins, the uncle of the deceased.
“I just want everyone to slow down on the road and think about others,” said Amaya Thompkins.
The girls had their entire lives ahead of them.
Savannah was an aspiring gymnast while Siyana was a rising basketball star.
“She was a student at Denby High School. She was an athlete. They were some lovable children,” Sonja insisted.
According to reports, Khalid has a 2022 OWI along with a second offense that happened just this past April.
Now he’s being charged with reckless driving causing death on top of another count of reckless driving causing serious impairment of a body function.
Until Justice is fully served, all family members can do is keep the memories of their loved ones alive.
While the community wraps its arms around them.
“I’m grateful for family. I’m grateful for Friends,” Sonja concluded.
Another 16-year-old was also in the car. It turns out to be the god sister of the deceased. She’s currently in the intensive care unit.