A family traveling together after a wonderful day they shared together met their demise in a tragic accident.
It is never easy to learn about accidents and tragic deaths, but it is even more painful to learn about entire families that lose their lives because of a disaster.
A family of five was traveling to Wyoming from Colorado. The young couple had been high school sweethearts who had recently gotten engaged. The two twenty-year-old, Aaron Godines and his fiancee, Haile Everts both lost their lives in the crash. Their young three-month-old daughter, Tessleigh also lost her life.
Aaron’s parents, Christina and Emiliano Godines parents were also fatalities in the crash.
The tragic accident happened when the family’s car was rear-ended on Interstate 25 near Highway 66. A Kenworth semi-truck that was northbound rear-ended their car which drove them off the left side of the road and into the center median.
The family was on their way back after celebrating Aaron’s 20th birthday.
Hailee’s mother talked to the media about the last interaction she had with her daughter via text messages. “She said, ‘I love you mom,’ and I told her, ‘Make sure you text me when you leave Denver,’” Desiree Everts
Her daughter texted back “OK,” but she never received the text.
Desiree says she found out about her daughter’s death from a video of the car crash. She recognized the car immediately and knew it was her daughter.
Her mother is still inconsolable. “I wanted all of them to be OK. She was my firstborn. She was my baby girl,” she said.
Instead of planning a wedding, Desiree is now planning a funeral for her daughter and her family.
Hailee also leaves behind two teenage siblings who are distraught at losing their older sister and niece.
“She had dimples. She was the perfect baby and the best niece I could ever ask for,” Hailee Everts’ 13-year-old sister, Halin said about her beloved niece.
Hailee’s family is now raising funds to transport her body back to them so they can carry on with her funeral rites in her hometown. They plan to lay Hailee, Aaron, and Tessleigh to rest together in the same place. Describing the young couple’s love as one for the books.
They are raising funds through a GoFundMe campaign in order to do so. “To have a beautiful funeral to say our goodbyes,” they say.
The case is still under investigation by Colorado officials who are urging anyone with any information to come forward.
What a tragic story. Please join us in praying for the departed souls.
