JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Family and friends on Monday night honored the life of a 19-year-old Edward Waters College student who was killed in a crash late Friday evening in Ponte Vedra Beach.
It was a very loving and somber memorial service for Alondra Janeiro Lugo.
"We cannot question God, but we can be grateful for your life," one pastor said during the service at Tabernacle of New Beginnings church on Emerson Street.
Friends, classmates and school counselors filled the room with love for Lugo and showed support for Lugo's family. One by one, people stopped to hug Lugo's mother, Sarai Rosario-Acosta.
The family pastor, Rebecca Osorio, translated Rosario-Acosta's words, saying Lugo's mother was humbled by the support.
"It is the most beautiful thing that as a mother can receive in comfort," Rosario-Acosta said through the translator.
Though painful, Rosario-Acosta is celebrating her daughter's life and the dreams she had. Lugo, an Englewood High School graduate, was studying criminal justice at EWC. The school on Monday afternoon released a statement, saying the second-year student will be missed.
In Memory of Ms. Alondra Janira Lugo Rosario 🕊 pic.twitter.com/DyN8WxTAg7
— Edward Waters Coll. (@ewctigers) October 7, 2019
Lugo's family said she was heading home from her job at McDonald's when she lost control of her car and crashed into a tree. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 19-year-old passenger was critically injured in the single-vehicle crash, which happened about 11:40 p.m. Friday on A1A near Corona Road.
"Every youth that is out there, take the proper precautions and, before leaving, always say goodbye to their parents," Rosario-Acosta said.
Lugo's family moved from Puerto Rico to Jacksonville 4 ½ years ago. At this point, the family is making arrangements to get Lugo back home to Puerto Rico for burial. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with the cost.