NJ Teen Pens Tribute To Parents Who Died Together In Crash

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — A New Jersey teen whose parents were tragically killed Wednesday in a crash on Rt. 80 penned a heartfelt and tearjerking tribute to them on social media, calling on people to hug their parents because you never know when someone won't be there anymore.

"Tonight I lost both of my parents in the accident on Route 80," Selena Rodriguez wrote in an emotional Facebook post announcing their deaths. "For those of you complaining about the traffic please think twice about how you feel angry from a 30 minute delay."

Her parents, John Rodriguez, 52, and Dawn Rodriguez, 49, were killed when their car was struck by a dump truck in Mount Olive Wednesday afternoon, New Jersey State Police said. The couple also leaves behind a teenaged son, Victor.

"My mom and dad do not get to come home tonight because of that accident," Rodriquez said. "Please be mindful of what you say."

The next morning, Rodriguez eulogized her parents in a second public post.

"To my mommy, thank you for being my best friend. I will miss your amazing advice, the way you take care of me when I’m sick, the smell of your perfume, and most of all the way it felt to get a hug from you. It made all pain go away but this time I can’t get one," Rodriguez said of her mother, Dawn.

"To my daddy, thank you for being my protector. I’ll miss all your crazy stories and the way you lit up a room when you walked in. I’ll always be daddy’s little girl," Rodriguez wrote about her father, John.

Rodriguez shared advice for her peers: never take your parents for granted.

"My advice to everyone is to go hug your parents and tell them how much you love them because you really never know the last time you will see both of them," she said.

The community is coming together to support the siblings as they move forward without their parents.

"Selena just started college and Victor just started high school. They were a beautiful couple, and even more so a beautiful family," a friend of the family wrote in a GoFundMe. "No amount of money can help ease the pain they are experiencing, but the least we can do is help these two brave teenagers with funeral costs and anything else they may need in these hard months ahead."

In just three hours, $1,800 has been raised.

Image via GoFundMe