Volunteers build playground at Oakland County shelter in honor of teen who died in crash

Darian Locklear killed while driving to hockey practice

PONTIAC, Mich. – Volunteers teamed up to build a playground at an Oakland County domestic violence shelter in honor of a teen who died in a car crash earlier this year.

Darian Locklear and her friend Julianna Ward-Brown were on their way to hockey practice in February when their vehicle veered off the freeway. Both girls were killed in the crash.

Read: 2 Livingston County high school girls killed in crash on I-96 near Lansing

In the weeks after Darian's death, classmates contacted her family to share stories about her quiet gifts of kindness.

A group decided to give a gift of kindness in her honor by gathering on a rainy day to put up a playground at HAVEN in Pontiac that children who are survivors of domestic violence can use.

"I think she would have loved this," said Darian's friend Ashlyn Vandmergel.

Hear more about the playground in the story above.


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