Two children from St. Clair County, Alabama, died and their older brother was critically injured after the pickup truck he was driving left the road and struck a tree near Steele on Friday.
Alonso Alvarado, 16, was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado with his 10-year-old sister and 18-year-old brother inside when the crash occurred, according to Al.com. Alonso was pronounced dead at the scene. His sister, Lia Alvarado, was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Their brother, Juan Alvarado, underwent surgery after suffering serious injuries. A relative, Maria Morales, said in a fundraiser post that his condition remains “still unknown.”
“Our family is heartbroken and trying to process an unimaginable amount of pain all at once,” Morales wrote. “Rest in peace, Alonso Alvarado and Lia Miriam Alvarado. You will be deeply missed, forever loved, and never forgotten.”
Alonso and Lia were students in the St. Clair County School district, killed about a month after classes resumed following summer break. Superintendent Rusty St. John said, “There is nothing I can say that makes a day like this any easier.”
Staff at a head start center Lia had once attended remembered her fondly. Stephanie Nelson, who helped organize a Christmas in July event, said she had known Lia since kindergarten.
“She was one of the children we were blessed to support, and it has been such a gift getting to know her over the years,” Nelson wrote in a tribute posted online.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials have confirmed that none of the three occupants of the pickup truck were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
