Two Alabama siblings have died after a pickup truck crash that also left their older brother critically injured and hospitalized.
Alonso Alvarado, 16, was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado with his 10-year-old sister and 18-year-old brother near Steele, Alabama, on Friday when the truck veered off the road and struck a tree, according to Al.com.
Alonso was pronounced dead at the scene. His sister, Lia Alvarado, was taken to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
Their brother, Juan Alvarado, sustained serious injuries and underwent surgery, relative Maria Morales said in a fundraising appeal. His condition remains “still unknown,” she added.
“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.”
The three siblings attended schools within the St. Clair County School District. The crash occurred only about a month after they returned to classes from summer break.
“There is nothing I can say that makes a day like this any easier,” Superintendent Rusty St. John said.
Staff members at a head start center Lia once attended remembered her as a “sweet girl.”
Stephanie Nelson, who helped organize a Christmas in July event, said she had known Lia since the child was in 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 social media tribute.
The circumstances leading to the crash remain under investigation. Officials with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said none of the three occupants was wearing a seat belt.
