Three sisters all under the age of five died in a horror car crash in Tennessee that killed six and left their mum fighting for life in hospital.
Emergency services arrived to find four young girls dying by the side of the road after being thrown from the car in the early hours of Sunday.
Three of the girls were sisters - Luna, four, Kristen, three, and Mariela, aged just one year old.
The heartbroken family, including dad Edgar Chavez, attended the joint funeral for the girls today at Mt. Kenton Cemetery in Kentucky.
Aileen De Leon, 19, who has known the family since she was eight, told The Mirror: "Dad wanted the girls to be buried near where they lived. So he can be close to visit."
The three girls had been travelling in the car with mum Zahira Reyes, 36, aunt Rina Reyes, 35, relative Anthony, 18, his girlfriend Tania Rodriguez, 21, and Rina's 12-year-old daughter Lissette, the fourth child to died in the tragedy.
Rina, Lissette and Tania were all also killed in the wreck.
Zahira was left in critical condition following the crash and sustained a severe head injury. Although she is now off the ventilator and has said a few words she remains in hospital.
Anthony has been discharged from hospital and came today to the funeral.
The family have been left devastated by the crash.
Aileen, who has set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to support Edgar at this awful time, said: "We are all heartbroken. They were babies. They were really young. It was really hard seeing very small caskets.
"But we’re all pulling together, to be there for each other. We're doing the best we can."
The Chavez Reyes family had just bought a new house in Clarksville and had moved in two months ago.
Aileen knew the two girls Kristen and Luna well.
She paid tribute to them, saying: "Luna was really loving. Very affectionate. Loving other people. Kristen was more sassy. More to herself."
The money raised in the fundraiser will be going to Edgar and split with Rina’s father to help with expenses.
The car, a Toyota Camry, was carrying eight people when it veered off the road at about 2am on Sunday, March 26 and struck a concrete shoulder barrier, flipping over and ejecting the passengers, according to emergency services.
The wreckage came to rest half a mile down the road from the scene of the crash.
The GoFundMe page reads: "Edgar Chavez lost his three daughters in the early hours of Sunday, March 26, in a car accident. Luna, Kristen, and Mariela lost their lives.
"The wife, Zahira, and stepson, Anthony, are in the hospital fighting for their lives. Zahira's sister and niece, Rina and Lissette, lost their lives.
"We ask for the help of the community for Edgar through this loss he took."
Police confirmed none of the victims were wearing seatbelts.
The only one in the car of eight who was, 18-year-old Anthony, survived the crash.
Emergency Medical Services Director Brent Dyer said: “These are things sometimes I don’t believe people are necessarily meant to see as human beings.
“It’s one of the hardest things we’ll ever do, as anybody in emergency services, is to realise that you can’t do something for a child.”
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said it would be investigating the cause of the crash, which took place near exit 24 on I-24 West in Robertson County.
Officials said a damaged pickup truck was also recovered at the scene, but have not said whether it was involved in the crash. The driver of the pickup truck was said to be able to walk away from the incident.
Dyer continued: “Sometimes you have to swallow back a few tears and catch your breath just a little bit.
“Something like this would shock anybody. We are still human."
A Robertson County Emergency Medical Services statement read: “A total of four Advanced Life Support ambulances responded to this scene and one helicopter/air ambulance. Initial arriving units worked quickly to search for, assess and triage the total nine patients involved.
“Only one other vehicle was involved. The vehicle was a car that was found upside down with very extensive damage.
"Another adult male was ambulatory on the scene and reported to responders that he had been in this car. This man was stable with what appeared to be minor injuries at that time.”
Donate to the GoFundMe fundraiser here
