Phoenix, AZ : 20 year old Ashley Adea and her boyfriend were killed on the Santan 202 early Sunday morning on May 18, 2014

A rash of wrong-way crashes on valley freeways has claimed the lives of 7 motorists including a Mesa police sergeant.

The latest crash happening over the weekend involved a 68 year-old woman with her 9 year-old grandson in the truck hitting another car. Authorities say that she drove in the opposite direction, along the loop 202 in Gilbert and slammed head on into another vehicle.

Both the woman and her grandson survived, but the two people in the other car did not.

The family of 20 year-old Ashley and 25 year-old Michael say they were a couple that had talked about getting married and hoped to eventually start a family. But their lives were cut short early Sunday morning by a wrong-way driver.

"She really was the definition of a sweetheart," said Rheanna Lacerna.

From a young age rheanna and her cousin, Ashley were best of friends, always hanging out.

"I was actually very lucky to be able to spend the last night with her," said Lacerna.

Ashley, her longtime boyfriend, Michael and other friends were all hanging out Saturday night.

"We just hung out, had a good time with friends, just a normal Saturday," said Lacerna.

The couple had to leave the party early to tend to their new puppy. Just a few minutes later they were hit by a wrong-way driver on the loop 202 in Gilbert.

"I was just hysterically crying, I live in the west valley and she lives in the east valley the whole way I was just in tears," said Lacerna.

According to DPS, the couple was hit by a 68 year-old woman who was driving the wrong way with her 9 year-old grandson in the truck. They're both in the hospital and are expected to survive.

Meanwhile, the family's of Ashley and Michael are trying to make sense of it all.

"I would never wish this pain of losing a loved one upon anyone, not even my worst enemies would I want to wish this pain upon... They were always together; they were attached at the hip. From here on forward it's Ashley and Michael, were going to always pray for and remember and leave them in our hearts," she said.

Michael was in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Afghanistan.

Source :
Family of wrong-way crash victim speaks out