SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — Leona Brown brought pictures and flowers to a roadside memorial in Salem where her niece — a 35-year-old single mother of 3 — was killed in a crash on July 21.
Shana Lucas “was a good lady. She had a good heart,” Brown said. “Lived every day of her life for her children. That’s who she was.”
Lucas and her 8-year-old daughter, Rilynn, were driving in the 1900 block of Silverton Road NE when a teenage driver of a pickup truck crossed the center line and slammed head-on into Lucas’ Acura.
Shana died at the scene. Her daughter suffered a serious arm injury but is recovering.
“She’s a little trooper,” Brown said. “She’s learning how to use her left hand and she seems to be doing alright.”
Estaban Alvarez-Ayala, 19, is charged with manslaughter, assault and reckless driving. He allegedly told police he was slightly speeding at the time of the crash.
But one witness, according to court documents, told police the teen had been speeding, crossed over the double yellow lines into oncoming traffic to pass a much slower car.
His next court appearance is set for August 1.
Salem police continue to investigate the crash and would like to talk with people who were in the area at the time of the crash.
“My daughter was one of the best people that I know,” Louis Lucas told KOIN 6 News.
The Jaziah, Nakoda, Rilynn Lucas Donation Fund is set up through any Chase Bank location
At the time of the crash — around 11:20 a.m. — “Shana was on her way to the dojo that day to clean it. That’s the kind of lady Shana was. That’s how she paid for her children’s karate lessons.”
“This represents who she was,” Brown said, pointing to a picture. “The loving mother that she was. And as you can clearly see by the look on the kids’ faces, they love their mother dearly.”
Her family is reminding drivers to please consider the other lives on the road
“People, don’t test drive, don’t road rage, don’t race on the streets, especially when you’re young,” Lucas said. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
Shana’s dad and aunt said their focus now is on the 3 kids, making sure they’re taken care of in the best possible way. They’ve also come to realize some important things about life.
“It’s not about the possessions we have or the money we have,” Leona Brown said. “It’s about that right there: a mother, a single mother loving her children to the best of her ability.”