HOUSTON — A family is looking for answers after a Houston woman was killed when officials say the RV she was riding in crashed into a tractor-trailer in Virginia.
The crash happened on Thursday, September 8. Officials say two people died in the accident and at least seven others were injured.
Officials say 25-year-old Ifreke E. Inyang of Houston was driving the RV. They say Inyang has been charged with reckless driving and driving without a valid operator's license.
Veronica Oyervides, the mother of one of the victims, says her 24-year-old daughter, Brenda, was a well-known artist and photographer who had a passion for life.
"I want people to know she was a true artist and she was living her dream," Veronica said. "That's what she wanted. She was so talented."
She said it's still hard to believe her daughter is gone.
"I’m still hoping that they’re going to call and say, 'We made a mistake, it’s not your daughter,'" Veronica said.
Brenda was a graduate of J. Frank Dobie High School in Houston. Her mother said she was traveling with a group of people to New York for Fashion Week at the time of the crash.
"I never thought that would be the last time I would see her we would see her," Veronica said. "Brenda was very free-spirited, believed in good energy. She believed in helping people.”
An investigation into the crash is still underway. As the family waits for answers, Veronica said she wants her daughter to be remembered for the talented, bright light that she was.
"I just want people to know the love and the passion for what she had for what she did," she said.
The other victim killed in the crash has been identified as 39-year-old Lenisha T. Simon. She was also from Houston.
Police said Inyang was the only person in the RV wearing a seatbelt. They said he and four other passengers had minor injuries. A 23-year-old woman was seriously injured and flown to a nearby hospital.