Their 16-Year-Old Died in First Day of School Crash — How Parents Plan to ‘Keep Her Light Shining’ (Exclusive)

“Her legacy will continue to live on through all of the great work and all of the love that she shared while she was here for 16 years,” the mom of Sophia DeTorres tells PEOPLE

• Siblings Sophia DeTorres, 16, and George DeTorres Jr., 15, were heading off to school on Aug. 22 when they were involved in a multi-vehicle crash, which she did not survive, according to their parents

• In the wake of her death, her parents tell PEOPLE they're establishing a foundation in her memory

• “She felt like she wanted everybody in this world to be seen," says Sophia’s mother, Noelle Boyd

On the morning of Aug. 22, New Jersey teen Sophia DeTorres set off for North Hunterdon High School, where she was due to start her junior year. Minutes later, her mom learned that there had been a crash.

“It was basically any other first day of school,” George DeTorres Sr., 48, Sophia’s father, tells PEOPLE, sharing that his wife, Noelle Boyd, took photos of Sophia, 16, and her brother George DeTorres Jr., 15, before they left their home in Pittstown.

“Five minutes later," according to the parents, Noelle got a call from a friend who said that Sophia and George Jr. had been involved in a three-vehicle crash at an intersection about a mile or two away from their house.

Their son sustained injuries, but Sophia was killed on impact. Her death not only shook her family, but also the community to whom she gave so much of herself through her kindness and volunteering.

“It's the most unimaginable nightmare that could happen to both of us,” says George Sr., 48.

After hearing the news, Noelle immediately drove to the scene with her 8-year-old daughter Sadie, who was still at home.

Authorities at the scene allowed her to see her son, who was in the ambulance, but not Sophia. “The EMS guy told me that Sophia was in critical condition and that it wasn't looking good, but he did not tell me that she died at the scene,” Noelle, 46, tells PEOPLE. “I've come to find out that she did.”

According to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, three passengers, including George Jr., were injured in the Aug. 22 crash; two drivers were treated at the scene and released. The incident is currently under investigation.

Related: Dad Opens Up After 2 Sisters Die in Crash: He Shares Last Conversation, Says They'll Be Cremated Together (Exclusive)

Noelle remembers Sophia as an incredible child who had the "remarkable" ability to make "every single person feel loved and seen."

"She wanted to make sure that even the people that didn't have friends had friends," her mom adds. "or that the people that were going through something really tough felt like they had somebody sitting by their side."

According to her obituary, as a former student of Franklin Township School, Sophia served as student council president, student board delegate and vice president of the National Junior Honor Society. She was also active in North Hunterdon High School's Unified program, in which students with or without disabilities mentor other students “of lower abilities in developing social skills through interactive activities.”

“She felt like she wanted everybody in this world to be seen, and that included the special needs kids that she mentored through Unified,” says Noelle. “They filled her heart just as much as she filled theirs.”

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In the aftermath of Sophia’s death, her parents have been touched to hear stories about the impact their daughter had on those around her.

“She was a source of support for so many kids,” says her dad, who was in Florida at the time of Sophia's death.

“We had one girl just terribly shaken," he says. According to him, the girl said that although she and Sophia hadn't been very close, she reached out to Sophia one night while she was experiencing suicidal thoughts. "The girl just flat out told her mom and me that our daughter saved her life," he says.

Sophia also guided her siblings, according to her parents.

“He said that from day one, she was his role model and best friend,” the dad says of his son. “She wore the big sister hat very well and really did help him."

“Sadie's doing a lot of this stuff Sophia did in terms of dance and acting,” continues the dad. "Sophia would always help with Sadie's school plays. Sadie always looked at her as a mentor."

During a vigil for Sophia on Aug. 29, her dad says that they played a video of Sadie singing "Tomorrow" from Annie, which her older sister recorded. "We really didn't even think Sadie was going to be able to talk, but she went up and her exact quote was: ‘My sister loved you all. I loved my sister.’ ”

Related: Calif. Family of 4 Dead After Car Crashes into Tree: ‘Heartbroken’

The family says that before the crash, Sophia had started to look at colleges and was planning to major in psychology. “She really wanted to work with underprivileged children, homeless children or children that had been abused in some capacity," Noelle says. "She really just wanted to help people.”

In Sophia’s obituary, the family summed up her legacy by wiring, “There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they're gone, the light remains.”

“I do think that that is exactly who she was,” says Noelle. "She was so special and she made everybody else around her feel so special that her legacy will continue to live on just through all of the great work and all of the love that she shared while she was here for 16 years. I'm just so proud of that child for everything.”

After the news of Sophia’s death, there was outpouring of community support for the DeTorres family, including the creation of a GoFundMe that has raised nearly $140,000 as of Sept. 5.

The majority of the funds, George Sr. says, will go to establishing the Sophia's Shining Light, which will ensure that the work "she was so proud of and passionate about continues."

Related: 6-Year-Old Boy Dead Days After Crash That Killed Parents and Brother: 'No Words for This Hurt'

Amid the tragedy, George Sr. hopes that people will take away something from the example Sophia set during her lifetime.

“There's nothing great about what has happened. But I think the only glimmer of hope is that if everyone can just think about what she did — and if there's one thing that stands out to you — that maybe you could help do that and pass it forward, and keep her light shining as bright as possible,” he says. "I think that's what she would want."

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