Make wishtv.com your home page

Family and friends remember Lawrence North High School student killed in I-65 crash

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Family and friends are remembering a Lawrence North High School student who was killed in a crash on I-65.

Icy road conditions over the weekend were factors in three deadly crashes on the interstate. Troopers identified one of the victims as 16-year-old Kiara Aguilar. The crash is still under investigation.

Indiana State Police said Aguilar was involved in a crash with several cars. Troopers believe she got out and possibly slipped on ice when she was hit by a semi.

Helen Rodriguez told 24-Hour News 8 her younger sister was driving home from the Greenwood Mall.

“There’s just no word to describe, it’s a very difficult time for us and we’re definitely not going to forget this moment, this week, this day,” she said.

Family and friends met outside of Lawrence North High School Tuesday night to remember Aguilar. She died one week before Christmas Eve.

“She was loved by a lot of people, not just by her family but obviously by her classmates and friends,” she said.

Rodriguez attended the candlelight vigil for her younger sister.

“When I found out, I was in shock I think everybody was in shock and couldn’t believe my little sister was gone,” she said.

Rodriguez said her sister was full of life, joy and happiness. She was a junior at Lawrence North and had dreams of becoming a cosmetologist.

“She was such a happy, happy girl,” she said. “She loved fashion, makeup; I mean everyone remembers her as this great makeup artist at 16.”

Indiana State Police said Aguilar was one of three people killed in crashes over the weekend. The freezing rain created dangerous road conditions for many drivers.

ISP responded to more than 500 crashes over the 24-hour period.

“I heard that it was pretty bad, it rained and everything froze on the highways and on the streets,” she said.

Rodriguez talked with her sister just days before the crash on FaceTime. She said that call would be their last.

“She was heading back home from the mall, she was doing some shopping,” Rodriguez said. “She was actually going to spend Christmas weekend with me down in Florida. She wanted to buy some stuff to take down there.”

A funeral service for Aguilar is being held on Thursday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Home on East Washington Street.

Meanwhile, ISP identified the person in the second fatal crash as Rueben Cordova De La Cruz. They have not released the name of the third person.