A man from Georgia is in critical condition after a horror seven-car crash that tragically claimed the life of his girlfriend whose family revealed the heartbreaking news that he had been planning to propose to her.
The fatal accident took place on September 27 on I-75 in Atlanta, where 24-year-old McKayla Harshaw was killed when two trucks collided with multiple cars, causing her vehicle to overturn. Andrew Perez, Harshaw's boyfriend and the driver of the vehicle, survived the crash but sustained severe injuries, including a fractured skull, broken neck and back, fractured ribs, and a concussion. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment but is fighting for his life.
Tragic End to Love Story
As heartfelt tributes poured in for the "beautiful and flourishing" young woman, Harshaw's family shared in a Facebook post that Perez's brother had informed them he was planning to propose to McKayla in the near future.
Harshaw's family shared that her tragic death occurred just four days before her 25th birthday. In a heartfelt social media post, they expressed that she will now "forever be 24."
"McKayla would have turned 25 this Monday,' her mother Melissa Gunther said. 'Now, we're planning her funeral."
Melissa revealed that her daughter did not have life insurance and shared a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses, which had surpassed $17,000 at the time of writing.
According to Georgia State Troopers, the crash took place after traffic had to divert around a vehicle, causing two trucks to collide as they slowed down. The trucks then struck a van, which hit another car, and that car collided with Perez's Toyota Corolla, causing it to flip over.
Grim Scene at Crash Site
Harshaw was the sole fatality in the crash, which involved a total of seven vehicles, including the two trucks. Grim images from the aftermath showed multiple vehicles strewn across the highway, which remained closed for several hours after the accident.
Harshaw's mother said that at 5:30 p.m. that day, she received the devastating news that "no parent should ever have to face."
"Two Georgia State Patrol cars came to our home to tell us the devastating news," she wrote on social media.
Days later on what would have been McKayla's 25th birthday, she said in another post: "You should have been 25 today, but I realized this afternoon, that you will forever be 24.
"We miss your smile and you spunky personality. We sang Happy Birthday for Grandmom tonight (since you both shared the same birthday.) Then we sang it a second time for you. We miss you so much. Happy 25th Birthday to my beautiful girl."
