San Diego

Third Member of Valley Center Family Dies After Suspected DUI Crash

A third member of a Valley Center family died Friday as the result of a suspected drunk-driving crash, leaving their 10-year-old daughter the only remaining survivor.

The Latulippe's were wrapping up a vacation in Texas last Saturday, headed to the airport in Austin, when an alleged intoxicated driver crashed into their small rental car head-on.

Nancy Latulippe and her son Jackson died on impact.

Her husband Scott Latulippe was hospitalized in critical condition. He was taken off life support Friday.

The family’s youngest member, 10-year-old Kiera is now left coping with the loss of her entire family, but the Valley Center community is rallying around her.

"Always know that you have love all around you," Valley Center resident Angel Robles told NBC 7 in a message to Kiera. "That it’s going to be a tough, tough challenge but there are a lot of people out there that will always be there for you and will always try for you."

In the neighborhood leading up to Valley Center High School (VCHS), where Scott was a teacher and Jackson was a freshman, white ribbons were tied to mailboxes and light posts. A giant sign read "Valley Center loves Kiera" and "Stay Strong."

A community rally was held VHCS at 9 p.m. Friday for students and community members who wished to hear and share memories of the Latulippe family.

"It's incredible how amazing of a person (Scott) was, and how much of an impact he made in not just my life but in Valley Center's life," former VCHS student Thomas Gillian said.

Kiera was escorted to the field by the captains of the teams during the pre-game Friday night, which began with a moment of silence and a prayer circle. She returned to San Diego Thursday night. 

During a phone call with NBC 7, Nancy's father said he wants something good to come out of this loss. He wants everyone to think about the amount of pain they are going through as a family and community and to not drink and drive.

California Highway Patrol officer in San Diego Jim Bettencourt had the message:

"Please don’t ever drink and drive. Please support this family," Bettencourt wrote on Twitter with a link to a GoFundMe page established to gather funds for Kiera's future. 

The Valley Center Real Estate Professionals have also set up a PayPal account

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