Kelsi Taylor received a terrifying phone notification telling her that her sister Courteney Taylor had just been in a car accident.
“It sent her location and a message to all of her close contacts,” Kelsi said. “So my mom and I got a message right at the same time and we hopped in the car and we headed up the I-15.”
They drove right into the area of the crash, witnessed the wreckage, and immediately knew Courtney and her four-year-old daughter Amaya were not OK.
“I just started screaming and I felt like I was going to collapse on the fence,” Kelsi said.
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According to prosecutors, 23-year-old Erik Arambula was driving northbound on Old Highway 395 in Fallbrook when a California Fish and Wildlife officer witnessed him running a red light.
The officer began chasing him but soon stopped after Arambula sped off. Arambula then swerved into oncoming traffic, came down an embankment, and crashed head-on into Courtney and Amaya.
According to the CHP, Arambula was driving under the influence.
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“It's devastating because people do so many things like that,” Kelsi said. "People drink and drive, people do so many things because we take so much for granted. We take life for granted and you never think it could be you until it's you.”
Courteney's future was bright, according to her sister. She was about to accomplish a big milestone. On May 13 she was going to graduate with a bachelor's degree in sociology from Western Illinois University.
Today, Courtney and Amaya’s loved ones are remembering the mother-daughter duo for their kind and loving personalities.
“If you ever felt like you needed a friend, she was there immediately to make sure that you were not alone,” said Megan Santiago, a friend of Courtney’s. “Courtney would come over almost every day after work or on the weekends we would get together while the kids were home.”
Santiago said she still can’t believe Courtney and Amaya are gone. She’s focusing her time on honoring their memory and helping her family fundraise.
With the help of other friends, Santiago has sold over 1,000 tamales in an effort to raise money for the Taylors.
“It's just been the best thing in the world to have the community come together,” said Santiago. “I’m blown away.”
As for the Taylor family, they hope their story prevents others from driving drunk.
“There truly is no such thing as justice when people die,” Kelsi said. “We all need to be careful and we all need to be kind just like Courtney was, and Amaya.”
