New details have been released about the horrific crash on Christmas Day that killed four people in Highlands County.
A 56-year-old grandmother and her 16-year-old granddaughter were hit head on driving back to the Treasure Coast. Family members of Judy Mounts and Destiny Franz tell WPTV they were driving from Fort Myers to Port St Lucie.
Mounts was visiting her daughter for the holidays. They went to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve, and the next day she was driving home with her granddaughter.
"You don't believe it, your life changes in a spin of a dime,” said Becky Mitchell, Mounts’ older sister.
For the past 14 years, Mitchell has been hosting Christmas at her home in Sebastian. Her house is lined with lights, and on Saturday the whole family gathered to celebrate.
"All of us gathered together and actually had a picture of all of us together, that’s the first time we ever did that,” Mitchell said.
That is now a cherished photo and her last memory. On Christmas Day, Mounts and Franz were heading to the cemetery. They were driving on State Road 70 east of County Road 721 when Florida Highway Patrol says another car came into their lane around a curve, and they were hit head on.
"They were going to stop and see Billy, Judy's husband, who passed away in January, the day after her birthday,” Mitchell said.
Mounts and Franz were both killed. Two people in the other car also died.
"We're just happy that our family didn't know what was coming on, because if they had suffered, it would be even worse,” she said.
Mitchell said her sister loved life and adored her three kids and 10 grandkids, and Franz was set to graduate high school in May with dreams of becoming a nurse.
Now, loved ones are pleading for drivers to pay attention and be more careful behind the wheel.
"Slow down because it's not worth losing, it's not worth losing four people just in a second,” Mitchell said.
The names of the two people in the other car have not been released.
