Tragic twist after five friends killed in horror head-on crash
Before they were tragically killed in a two-car crash, a young group of friends spent the night celebrating a huge milestone.
Around 4.30am on Saturday, Valeria Cáceres, Daniela Marcano, Valeria Peña, Giancarlo Arias and Briana Pacalagu were out in Miami when the Honda they were travelling in was hit by another driver.
All five of them were killed in the crash. They were aged between 18 and 25.
The driver of the other car, Maiky Simeon, had allegedly been speeding on the other side of the road, NBC Miami reports.
Simeon survived and is currently in hospital, where he is being monitors by police. According to WPLG, Simeon has been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide.
At the time of the crash, Cáceres, Marcano, Peña, Arias and Pacalagu were heading home after celebrating Arias' recent acceptance to New York University.
The Miami Herald reported that Arias was a self-taught artist, with a focus on portrait art and realism. He was going to NYU on a scholarship and his death has left a former teacher devastated.
"Gian, I never got to tell you how proud I was of you," the teacher said, according to the Miami Herald.
"You were such a talented role model and a beautiful soul. In my 21 years of teaching, this is the first time I've ever felt such a loss."
A GoFundMe set up for Arias said the only thing giving his family comfort, was the fact he had enjoyed a great night out with his best friends.
Loved ones remember women killed in crash
At the time of the crash, Briana Pacalagu was reportedly driving.
"My big sister was the one driving everyone back home, and she was always so careful on the road," her sister, Kiara, wrote on a GoFundMe.
"But nothing could’ve prepared her or anyone for what happened."
Kiara went on to say the family was devastated over her sister's death. She admitted she loved sharing a room with Pacalagu and their late-night chats.
"My sister was a kind, lovely, amazing, sweet, caring and happy person," she wrote.
"She was loved by many people she always had a smile on her face even when times were rough and she’ll put a smile on everyone’s face that surrounded her."
A GoFundMe has also been set up for Valeria Peña's family. She was described as "very sweet" with the best intentions.
"None of them deserved this, they didn't deserve such a short life," the fundraiser says.
"Young people who were beginning to live their lives, they liked to go out and share with their friends and they were preparing themselves to achieve dreams and goals."
Cáceres' family is also raising money for funeral expenses, with the GoFundMe saying she was "full of life and loved by so many".
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Her older sister, Isabella Espin, urged people to drive carefully and "let the people that are the closest to you know that you love them".
Marcano has been described as "happy and the most sweetest person ever".
"She had many goals and dreams that now she won’t be able to achieve them," her GoFundMe says.
"We still can’t believe what happened she was young she had just turned 19 a couple of weeks ago and now she’s gone."
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