Atwater mother speaks out after child dies in two-car crash

ATWATER, Calif. (KFSN) -- A memorial with candles and flowers is growing in Atwater for the two people who died in a crash.

One of those people is an 8-year-old girl. Her mom says they were only two minutes away from home when the crash happened, and now she has to do something she never imagined and bury her only child.

"I love you Caloni, and I'm going to think about you every single day, and I thought, 'I want you to be here.' Maybe you are supposed to be helping somebody else, but I'm never going to forget you," said the victim's mother, Ruby Roy.

Roy says she's not only injured physically with broken bones, but she's also heartbroken after her daughter, Caloni Roy, died in a crash early Saturday morning.

"Me and my friend were both hospitalized. My daughter and my friend's brother, they had passed on, though," said Roy.

You can still see police tape, tire marks and broken glass at Green Sands Avenue and Buhach Road where it happened," said Roy.

Atwater police say a white Acura Sedan and a silver Toyota Corolla collided, but they are still working to learn more about the crash.

"We're trying to determine the cause, we're trying to determine who the responsible parties are, we're trying to determine whether alcohol's involved," said Atwater Police Chief Michael Salvador.

Roy says they were coming back from Yosemite, their last trip before Caloni started school.

Now, she's doing the unthinkable.

"It's just really hard because she was 8 years old, she just turned 8, and she had a lot of life to live," said Roy.

She says Caloni loved being with her family and did anything she put her mind to.

"There was nothing that stopped her from doing anything," said Roy.

Roy adds that to know Caloni was to love Caloni.

"She was joyful. I think anybody that got a chance to meet her always enjoyed her presence. She was very sweet, caring," said Roy.

While her support is like no other, Roy says she wishes her daughter was still here.

"Why she have to go so soon? Because honestly, she's helped me through a lot of hard times, she's helped me through so many hard times, and she doesn't even know it," said Roy.

The investigation into the crash is still ongoing, and police say as of right now, they have not made any arrests.

A Go Fund Me has been set up to help to help lay Caloni to rest.

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