A 41-year-old Arizona woman killed over the holiday weekend as a Lyft passenger in a car wreck had survived a deadly shooting that left two others dead just one month ago.
The family of Tesha Jeffrey is mourning the mother of five, who lost her life in an accident police say was caused by a Camaro driver running a red light on July 3 in north Phoenix, FOX 10 reports.
The Camaro driver is accused of causing a three-car accident that killed three people: Jeffrey; the Lyft driver Majid Al Juhaishi, 54; and a 21-year-old passenger in the Camaro, Esteban Espinoza Lopez.
Police say the unidentified 22-year-old Camaro driver smashed into the Chevy Traverse SUV driven by Al Juhaishi, causing Jeffrey — who was not wearing a seatbelt — to be ejected from the vehicle as it careened into a car that was stopped at the traffic light. Jeffrey was pronounced dead at the scene.
Exactly one month earlier, Jeffrey was a victim in a Phoenix shooting that killed Jerry Carter, 65, and Jessica Velasquez, 55. The mom was taken to the hospital, treated for her gunshot wound to a leg, and on the road to recovery when this most recent tragedy transpired.
“She was just recuperating from that, and now this, exactly what, a month and a day after each other? It’s devastating,” her sister Chonte Flores said.
Flores remembered Jeffrey before the series of events, saying she was “outgoing,” “outspoken,” and had a “goofy personality.”
“She was a daughter. She was a friend. She has a lot of people who love her and are hurting. She was a good person, and many people were robbed from time with her,” Flores said, adding that if the driver had stopped, her sister might still be here.
A GoFundMe was set up by Kiarra Bartley, Jeffrey’s second-oldest daughter, a day after the fatal crash. The daughter states that the crowdfunding campaign was launched to help with the funeral expenses.
Of the requested $10,000 only $2,358 has been donated with one person giving a whopping $2,000 to help the children in this time of need.
Lyft submitted a statement regarding the accident: “Our hearts are with the victims’ families and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
A spokesperson also said that officials from the company have “reached out” to Jeffrey’s and Al Juhaishi’s families. They also said they are “ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation.”