TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WAND) — A candlelight vigil was hosted at the Taylorville Firehouse to honor the three juveniles killed in a crash outside Taylorville on Oct. 7.
The single-vehicle crash happened on County Road 1400 East near 1100 North around 2:15 a.m., just west of Taylorville Lake. The crash killed 15-year-old Trinity Tyler, 15-year-old Tabitha Freeman and 17-year-old Tyler Burkhart.
The event allowed loved ones of the victims and their families to remember who the three teens were and the mark they left on their communities' lives.
"There's going to be a day where the smell of fire will no longer linger around those trees. There will be a day where the grass grows over the spots in the grass that have been disturbed," said Pastor Chad of Calvary Baptist Church. "There will be a day where the crosses will remain, but yet it will look like nothing has happened in that area. But we must remember their lives. We must celebrate them and remember them well."
Jaime Freeman, Tabitha's mother, said they have received an outpouring of support, and hearing about the impact her daughter made on the community has been cathartic.
"I knew who Tabitha was as a person, and I knew how much people loved her, but it just solidified that even more, hearing the things that they all had to say. And I'm just forever grateful for all those people who showed up and everyone that's here tonight to support all of us," Freeman said.
There is a GoFundMe that will benefit Tabitha and Trinity's families.
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