'Caring' Nursing Student, 19, Killed, 13-Year-Old Sister Hospitalized After Fourth of July Crash

"She was the light of everyone's life that she encountered," Jason Norris said of his daughter Grace

A family is mourning the death of a 19-year-old woman who was killed in a head-on crash in Indiana.

Jason Norris said his daughter, Grace Norris, was with her sister to pick up friends for a family Fourth of July party when the deadly collision occurred, according to NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV.

The Demotte woman was traveling down east 117th Street around 4:30 p.m. local time when the Kia sedan she was driving was hit head-on by a Subaru SUV, Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. of the Lake County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

Witnesses claimed a Subaru SUV was tailgating a Jeep while both vehicles were traveling on East 117th Avenue and crossed the center line while attempting to pass the Jeep, according to the sheriff.

The driver of the Kia was pronounced dead at the scene. Two 13-year-olds, who were also in the vehicle, were both transported to a Chicago hospital.

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Grace's sister Emma, identified by loved ones as one of the victims, was airlifted to the hospital following the crash and “is fortunately going to be okay” after undergoing surgery, according to a GoFundMe campaign.

The second 13-year-old — a friend of Grace's sister, according to WMAQ-TV — was transported to the hospital by ambulance, Martinez said in Wednesday’s statement.

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The sheriff identified the driver of the Subaru as “a 44-year-old female from Crown Point.” Her condition has not been released to the public.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Jason Norris told WMAQ-TV that he learned about the crash shortly when friends still expecting a ride contacted him.

The father of eight said he checked a tracking app and learned that his daughter's car had not moved in about 50 minutes. He and his girlfriend raced to the scene and saw a coroner’s van shortly before their arrival, per the outlet.

Grace was in her final year of nursing school, Jason told the outlet. "She tried to make others happy. She was the light of everyone's life that she encountered," he said, remembering her as a “helpful and caring person.”

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In the meantime, Jason and his girlfriend have been visiting Emma at Comer Children's Hospital while she recovers, according to WMAQ-TV.

Emma has "a long road to recovery" ahead of her, according to the GoFundMe organizer, who started the campaign to help with both funeral and medical expenses.

“A beautiful soul was taken from us too soon,” read a message on the page, which has raised over $14,000 as of Thursday. "This is one of the kindest and closest families we know."

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