Leila Strawder was killed Saturday evening in a single-vehicle wreck. The victim was remembered Tuesday evening by loved ones at a vigil held at East 30th Street and Broadmoor Boulevard.
Investigators say Leila was thrown from an SUV while riding shotgun with a driver under the influence. Investigators have since arrested and charged her friend, Shaylee Williams, with DUI and vehicle manslaughter.
The crash has left Leila's mother devastated.
"Don't drink and drive. Don't let nobody drink and drive. Don't let your kids or friends get in a car with a drunk driver," an emotional Lisa Strawder said. "They don't have control, and nobody has control - and life is just over. And you can't take it back."
Lisa says her daughter was headed home from an event when her best friend lost control and crashed near the 210 Freeway.
Witnesses rushed to the scene, including Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who just happened to be in the area to help Leila. The sheriff performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
Investigators say Leila was stuck underneath. She was rushed to a hospital where she died.
"I just want to thank them for their effort. I'm happy they responded so quickly and didn't hesitate," Lisa told Eyewitness News.
Leila's friends and family remember her as a creative soul, who loved cosmetology and the color pink.
"My daughter was perfection," Lisa said. "Everything she did was perfect."
"I feel dead inside. I feel empty inside," the heartbroken mother added.
"It's just a lot of stuff that could have been prevented and shouldn't have happened, and it cost my daughter's life for it."
A GoFundMe page has been established to help the victim's family with funeral costs.