Family mourns woman who died in St. Clair County church crash

RIVERSIDE, Ala. ( WIAT ) — Authorities have released new information regarding a St. Clair County church that two cars crashed into within the past week.

Both drivers were teenagers who were dating before they crashed into Riverside Baptist Church in two separate accidents.

“When the first accident happened, my sister was already gone, mentally,” Ana-Karen Arellano told CBS 42.

According to Ana-Karen, her sister Jennifer Arellano-Maldonado had fought with her boyfriend on Wednesday. Hours later, the car he was driving crashed into the church at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

Ana-Karen witnessed her 19-year-old sister — a happy and carefree girl — fall into a depression in the days after her boyfriend’s tragic death. She says Jennifer blamed herself for the accident.

Early Sunday morning, Riverside Police Department officers and first responders were dispatched to the church once again — as Jennifer drove a car off the road and into the church’s wall. Her family believes she may have intentionally caused the crash that led to her death.

“Initially the officer observed the vehicle coming up US-78 at a high rate of speed. He pulled behind and activated his lights and sirens, but she was way ahead of them,” Riverside Police Chief Jake Heath said. “He loses sight of her briefly, passes the church, notices the headlights and sees that she has crashed into the wall.”

Jennifer’s family says the tragedy still doesn’t feel real and are struggling to come to terms with everything that’s unfolded.

“In my heart, I feel like she’s still here. In my heart, I can’t let go of my phone because I still have my phone in my hand every day waiting for her to call asking me to come pick her up,” Ana-Karen said. “But I know that that call will never come.”

Police Chief Hearth says the investigations of both crashes are still under investigation.

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