KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) – The mothers of two young women who died last Sunday in a crash are opening up since the devastating loss.
Melanie Warren and Tricia Ludwig’s friendship has formed through grief.
“We’re going to make a pact to get through this together,” Warren said.
Over the weekend, their two 20-year-old daughters, JaLiyah Stevenson and Jessica Ludwig, were killed in a single-vehicle crash near Hamilton.
“It was the worst day of my life,” Tricia Ludwig said.
Warren added, “That has been and probably always will be the worst day of my life.”
The only smiles able to creep through the sadness form when they talk about their girls.
“She was a ray of sunshine,” Tricia Ludwig said about her daughter.
“JaLiyah was always smiling; she was just so sweet,” Warren added.
The young women found each other at a time when they were both starting a new chapter.
“They met in the ninth grade, they were both cheerleaders at Killeen High School and stayed really good friends even after they graduated,” Tricia Ludwig said.
Their loved ones say the impact they had on others is now helping them pull through these difficult times.
“We knew they were loved, especially by the Killeen community, but I didn’t know that it was this big,” Warren said.
GoFundMe accounts have been set up for both Stevenson and Jessica Ludwig.
The girls’ families have thanked everyone for the support they have already received.
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