'Pray for my sister's soul'; Family heartbroken after deadly crash in Sterling Heights
(FOX 2) - A gofundme for a Metro Detroit family has raised more than $163,000 after their mother was killed in a tragic crash in Sterling Heights.
The family's father and 2-year-old son also suffered critical injuries and are expected to need intense medical care to recover following a serious traffic accident when a speeding driver struck their vehicle.
For Fallon Chaevalier, sister of Faith Gumma who died in the accident, the tragic incident has been followed by an outpouring of love from the community.
"It's amazing - I love the support from our community," she said. "I've had hundreds and hundreds of people reach out to me personally and they just talk about how great she was."
Even more heartbreaking is that Faith was three months pregnant.
The Gumma family's life was flipped upside down in a matter of seconds when, while traveling in Sterling Heights on Saturday, they were struck by a 16-year-old driver who was speeding over 90 mph. He allegedly accelerated away from police after an officer ran the vehicle's plate and it came back with no insurance.
The teen, who has yet to be arraigned in court, ran a red light in the area of Van Dyke and the Metro Parkway before T-boning the Gumma family's vehicle.
Their son Eli had multiple ribs fractured and his organs lacerated. The crash left husband Norman Gumma with severe head trauma. Three days since the crash, he remains intubated amid concerns he has brain damage.
The Gummas became a family after they got married in 2020. News coverage of their socially distant wedding during a COVID-19 outbreak was the next chapter in their love story. The family and their friends are now reeling from the tragic turn.
"I truly believe in the power of prayer and miracles so please pray for Norman, for my nephew Eli, and please pray for my sister's soul," said Chaevalier.
The gofundme was posted on Monday. You can find it here.