“Our family is heartbroken and trying to process an unimaginable amount of pain all at once,” said Alonso and Lia Alvarado’s loved ones
Credit: GoFundMe (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- A Sept. 11 crash near Chandler Mountain Road killed 16-year-old Alonso Alvarado and 10-year-old Lia Miriam Alvarado
- Their brother Juan, who was also in the car and survived the crash, has been hospitalized
- The cause of the crash is under investigation, but authorities said the victims were not wearing seat belts
A teenager was the sole survivor of a crash that killed his younger brother and sister in Alabama.
In an email shared with PEOPLE on Monday, Sept. 14, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said the incident happened on Mount Lebanon Road near Chandler Mountain Road in St. Clair County at about 3:50 p.m. local time on Friday, Sept. 11.
Officials said the driver of the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado, a 16-year-old, was killed when the pickup left the roadway and struck a tree. They were pronounced deceased at the scene.
A 10-year-old passenger suffered critical injuries and was taken to a hospital where they were later pronounced dead, the ALEA added.
Meanwhile, an 18-year-old passenger was also injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment, authorities said.
The ALEA indicated in its statement that the driver and the passengers did not wear seat belts at the time of the crash. The crash remains under investigation.
Meanwhile,officials did not publicly identify the victims, but a GoFundMe created by the family named the deceased siblings as Alonso Alvarado and Lia Miriam Alvarado. Their brother, Juan Alvarado, who survived the crash, was undergoing surgery and his condition was not immediately known.
“Our family is heartbroken and trying to process an unimaginable amount of pain all at once,” the fundraiser description, which has raised nearly $20,000 as of Monday, Sept. 14.
“Please continue praying for Juan as he undergoes surgery, and for strength, comfort, and healing for the entire family. Rest in peace, Alonso Alvarado and Lia Miriam Alvarado. You will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten,” the fundraiser added.
St. Clair County Public Schools acknowledged the deaths of the two victims on Saturday, Sept. 12.
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“There is nothing I can say that makes a day like this any easier,” Superintendent Rusty St. John said, according to the district’s statement on social media. “Our hearts and prayers are with the families, and with the Steele and Ashville communities.”
The GoFundMe will help the family pay for funeral and burial costs for Alonso and Lia, as well as medical expenses for Juan, the fundraiser read.
PEOPLE contacted the fundraiser’s organizer on Monday, but did not receive an immediate comment.
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