Valedictorian Briauna Ramirez Killed By Suspected DUI Driver On 105 Freeway Days After 18th Birthday
LYNWOOD (CBSLA) -- Family and friends are in disbelief after the tragic accident by a suspected drunk driver took the life of 18-year-old Briauna Ramirez.
She was driving on the 105 Freeway in Lynwood around 3 a.m. on Saturday morning when someone driving the wrong way in a 1999 Honda, and presumably under the influence, crashed head-on into her vehicle.
Ramirez, who had just celebrated her birthday on Thursday, was one of several passengers who were struck by the vehicle.
She died on the scene and the driver and surviving passengers were transported to hospitals with serious injuries, the California Highway Patrol said.
The suspected drunk driver, who was arrested, has only been identified as a 24-year-old West Covina man.
A valedictorian and an accomplished dancer in the Palm Springs area, Ramirez is remembered as someone who always wanted to help others. As such, her family has donated her organs to patients in need.
More than $12,000 have been donated on GoFundMe to support her family.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)