For the friends and families of 16-year-old Karly McDonald and 18-year-old Kiara Renteria Haist, the spring of 2019 brought unfathomable change and an immeasurable rift of time.
May 9 marked the three-year anniversary of a tragic car accident on Unalaska's Mount Ballyhoo that cost McDonald and Renteria Haist their lives. Both died when their classmate drove his truck off the mountain, while they were inside.
To honor the memory of the young girls, dozens of Unalaskans gathered outside the Burma Road Chapel on a foggy afternoon, waving signs, chatting softly and offering each other hugs and support. Passersby waved from their cars, honking their horns in solidarity.
Organizers said they staged the peaceful protest to show that the community hasn’t forgotten the teens and to give support to the friends and families who still suffer their loss.
Two voices at the center of the tragedy are Diana Renteria and Alyssa McDonald, Kiara and Karly’s mothers.
During the event, Renteria and McDonald reflected on their suffering and the three years that have passed since the crash.
