Family and friends came out Monday night in Hialeah to pay their respects to two South Florida teens who died in a horrific crash over the weekend.
All evening long, there were hugs and tears outside the San Jose Funeral Home as loved ones remembered 18-year-old Jennifer Garcia and 17-year-old Alejandra Gomez.
"This shouldn't have happened to her," said Garcia's best friend, Natalie Borroto, as she fought back tears. "I called her the same day to make sure she was there and she wasn't, it's really hard."
Gomez, Garcia and 18-year-old Tatiana Davila were driving westbound on the Dolphin Expressway around 2:30 a.m. Saturday when the car lost control and slammed into a median and pole near Northwest 17th Avenue, police said.
The car split in half, sending the rear end of the car flying into the eastbound lanes.
The driver, Gomez, and front passenger, Garcia, were killed on impact. Davila, who was reportedly wearing a seatbelt, survived and was taken to Ryder Trauma Center where she's expected to survive.
Florida Highway Patrol investigators are still looking into the cause of the crash. Friends told NBC Miami the three teens were headed home after a night out at a South Beach nightclub.
Friends remembered Gomez, a junior at Westland Hialeah High, as a happy go lucky girl.
"She was always happy, she never cried, she always had a beautiful smile," said Elizabeth Laws, Gomez's friend.
Lissette German, Gomez's sister, expressed her gratitude for the support they've received.
"We're trying to hang together as a family," German said. "The only reason why I came outside is because I want to thank everyone who has been there to support us in these hard times."
For some of the victims' young friends, the shock of these sudden deaths is serving as a life lesson.
"We live for the moment, so I think this will calm a lot of people down and make them think before they start doing things," friend Miranda Shorter said.
The funerals for Garcia and Gomez will take place Tuesday.
