Charges have been authorized in the case of a man accused of drunk driving, striking a car carrying four people, killing two young girls and their older cousin. Their father was critically injured as well.
The driver of the truck that hit the family, 32-year-old David Glen Johnson, faces 11 charges total. Those include: three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, three counts of operating a vehicle with a license suspended or revoked causing death, one count of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury and one count of driving while license suspended or revoked causing injury.
Meanwhile, the family of the victims has set up a fundraiser for the youngest victims, 4-year-old Cassadi, and 2-year-old Kandice Berryhill to pay for funeral expenses for their little girls. They young couple, Justin and Alicia don’t have a lot of money and of course the crash was so unexpected.
“Her and Justin are having a very difficult time right now. They lost their, they lost their family,” says Benny Quinones, who lost her granddaughters and her niece Brittany.
Benny says her grandchildren were the light of her daughter Alicia’s life. Four-year-old Cassadi was in love with soccer and being the little “boss” and 2-year-old Kandice was known as the snuggler with the great smile.
“She was so cute. And, she was loving and affectionate,” says Quinones.
The crash on that dark country road was so devastating, tearing the young family apart. With hearts heavy from grief, the girl’s uncle Kevin Lounsberry says the pain is hard to bear. “It’s really hard in that house right now, it is. It will take a long time for it to work itself out,” says Lounsberry, the girl’s uncle.
The family is grateful for those who are supporting them in prayer during this tragedy. “I ask that they continue and the support and love from other people, thank you for being there, it means a lot for our family,” says Benny.
“We appreciate all the prayers, all the sympathy and we will need it, we will,” says Kevin.
With Justin Berryhill still in the hospital and Alicia in so much pain, family members are stepping in to help the couple bury their little ones. They’ve set up a fund at Fifth Third Bank in Cassadi and Kandice Berryhill’s name for community donations. “Just so they can have a good funeral,” says Benny.
Benny says it will help to give their little angels the proper send-off into heaven.”Those girls, can be sent home good, nicely, because, they don’t have the money, (pause) wasn’t expecting this,” says Benny.
In order to donate to the fund to pay for Cassadi and Kandice’s funeral, you can go into any Fifth Third bank across the country and of course here in Michigan and donate there. The family says they are grateful for those that have stepped in to help.
We also talked to Brittany King’s mom, Melinda Quinones, about how special the 24-year-old was. She said her daughter wanted to be a nurse and loved to help others. Brittney even took care of her when she was sick following a surgery. Melinda said her daughter was on her way back from helping a friend when she was struck and killed. She says she has forgiveness for the man who did it in Brittney’s memory in part because Brittany was a forgiving spirit herself.
