Citizens help families of Burbank crash victims
Local businesses raised more than $12,000 on Saturday for the victims of a car crash that claimed the lives of five people and left one injured a little more than a week ago.
A car wash held at Fosters Freeze Saturday raised $6,265 for the six victims’ families, according to Carol Coelho, who helped organize the event.
More than 300 drivers showed up at the Burbank business to get their cars washed, while others came by simply to donate. Strangers even showed up with buckets to help wash cars, Coelho said.
Allie Hariri, whose daughter, 19-year-old Malak Hariri, died in the crash, brought his daughter’s burgundy Nissan Altima to the fundraiser.
“I told them, ‘this is Malak’s car’ and all [of the] kids came just to have a hand to wash Malak’s car,” Allie Hariri said Monday. “It makes me and my wife feel very good — it’s part of the comfort we’re trying to get.”
Authorities identified the other victims as Burbank residents Stephen Stoll, 23, Sebastian Forero, 20, and Sugey Cuevas, 19, as well as Sameer Joudeh, 18, of Valley Village. Joudeh also goes by the last name Nevarez, according to his peers.
Coelho said it was special to have Malak Hariri’s family, along with a member of Stoll’s family, at the car wash.
Savannah Underwood, 18, the sole survivor of the crash, escaped the incident with broken bones in her right leg and a crushed pelvis after managing to crawl out of the car’s back window.
Police believe the car, driven by Stoll, was traveling south on San Fernando Boulevard at high speed and lost control near the Scott Road off-ramp of the Golden State (5) Freeway just after 4 a.m. on Sept. 28. After slamming into a concrete pillar, the car caught fire.
At another fundraiser, a root beer float drive was held at the three Ralph’s stores in Burbank and raised $3,930 for the six families, said Don Jansen, a store director.
“I’m just extremely proud of Burbank for really coming out and showing what they’re about,” Jansen said.
Also, local sports bar the Hollywood Way will donate $2,000 — a portion of the restaurant’s Saturday night sales — to the crash victims’ families, according to business owner Matt Ferrato.
“We’re just happy to do whatever we can to help out the families,” Ferrato said Monday.
Angel Greco, a tattoo artist at the Electric Pen, raised roughly $400 for Malak Hariri’s family. Throughout the day, he completed a handful of memorial tattoos for customers, some who requested initials of the victims, and others who asked for the date of the crash.
Separately, the families of the crash victims have raised more than $32,000 for memorial services and hospital bills on the crowd-funding website GoFundMe.
Underwood’s mother, Valerie Lucas, said that between co-pays and deductibles, her daughter’s hospital bills will be high.
“This is something that’s obviously never happened to us — we have no idea what we’re going to need as far as making sure that Savannah is going to recover fully, not just physically, but mentally as well,” Lucas said Monday. “It’s going to be a struggle, it really is. We are just so grateful for the amount we’ve received so far on her page.”
To make a donation, visit:
Savannah Underwood: https://www.gofundme.com/4nm8ao
Stephen Stoll: https://www.gofundme.com/4lfq60
Malak Hariri: https://https://www.gofundme.com/4mbg10
Sugey Cuevas: https://https:// www.gofundme.com/4kdnt4
Sebastian Forero: https://www.gofundme.com/4mhgzo
Sameer Nevarez: https://www.gofundme.com/4l3w18
--
Follow Alene Tchekmedyian on Google+ and on Twitter: @atchek.
RELATED: