FRENCH CAMP, Calif. — A car crash in the Stockton area last week that claimed the lives of five people, including two children, has friends of the family reaching out with memories of their loved ones.
"Larinda, she had a very beautiful spirit," said Brenda Williams, a friend of the family, in a conversation with ABC10. "No matter if you did wrong to her, you were mean to her, nice to her, she was always the same."
Larinda Jones, 42, of Tracy, was identified by Williams and the San Joaquin County Coroner's Office as one of the people killed in the crash on Interstate 5 in French Camp. Nathaniel Clifton, 33, of Tracy was also killed, as were two of their children, 7-year-old Phyllis Clifton and 1-year-old Major Clifton.
Gina Jewell, 29, a friend of the parents, was also in the car at the time and was identified as the fifth victim of the crash.
Jones and Clifton leave behind their eldest son, 9-year-old Nate Clifton Jr.
The accident occurred Friday, March 12 when investigators say the driver “made an unsafe turning movement” causing the vehicle to lose control and careen into a tree.
California Highway Patrol - Stockton (CHP) told ABC10 that the driver, now believed to be Nathaniel Clifton, may have been impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Williams has organized a GoFundMe, with money raised going toward funeral expenses and support for Nate Jr. Some donations have already come pouring in since the fundraiser was put up on Sunday.
"We come to you humbly and modestly for any donations or support you may be able to provide as Nate Jr. and his family prepare to lay his parents and siblings to rest and deal with the hardest time he will ever face in his entire life," Williams wrote in the GoFundMe description.
