Emotional vigil honors mother and daughter killed in violent Rialto crash

RIALTO, Calif. (KABC) -- An emotional vigil was held in Rialto Wednesday to remember a mother and her young daughter who were tragically killed in a fiery car crash earlier this week.

Friends and loved ones gathered near Valley Boulevard and Riverside Avenue to mourn the loss of 33 year-old Ashley Gilroy and 8-year-old Marlee Maldonado.
[Ads /]
They were killed when the driver of a Jeep Cherokee plowed into their car, causing a chain reaction crash involving several more vehicles, according to police.

Woman, daughter killed in violent Rialto crash involving 8 vehicles, police say


Police said the driver, who had apparently been drinking beer, was speeding down Valley Boulevard going between 80 and 100 mph when he first sideswiped one vehicle and kept going.

Gilroy and her daughter were trapped inside their burning Kia Sorento and couldn't be saved.
[Ads /]
Bystanders tried to help, but they couldn't get past the flames into the wreckage.



The driver of the Cherokee was also killed at the scene.

Two additional drivers were rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.