Victor Valley College student, Jheney Wallace, a 20-year-old sophomore on the women's basketball team, died Wednesday after the vehicle she was riding in overturned down an embankment along Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass, according to the San Bernardino County Coroner's Office.
Crash Details Emerge
The California Highway Patrol responded to the southbound I-15 freeway north of Kenwood Avenue in Devore on July 15 at 1:51 p.m., where Jheney Wallace, identified as a Victorville resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.A CHP incident log from that afternoon shows a reporting party saw "a dust of cloud and a vehicle go off roadway," describing the car as a dark gray sedan or SUV that landed overturned down the right shoulder. Crews requested a heavy-duty tow truck because the vehicle had traveled too far down the embankment for a standard flatbed, and units later confirmed two other occupants remained in the vehicle.
San Bernardino County Fire, assisted by Cal Fire San Bernardino Unit and the San Bernardino National Forest, said firefighters found the vehicle had traveled roughly 80 feet down an embankment and was resting upside down with major damage in triple digit temperatures, according to a San Bernardino County Fire post on Facebook.
Three adults were inside; two sustained critical injuries and one was pronounced dead at the scene. Rescue teams hoisted one critical patient out by helicopter, while search and rescue crews carried the other out in a stokes basket to a waiting ambulance, both bound for local trauma centers.
Community and Team Mourn
Victor Valley College's women's basketball program remembered Wallace as "more than a teammate," calling her "a friend, a daughter, a sister, cousin, granddaughter, and a cherished member of our Ram family whose impact will never be forgotten," according to a statement posted to Instagram.The team organized a balloon release in her honor for July 19, at 5 p.m. at Civic Center Park in Apple Valley, inviting family, friends, and teammates. An accompanying flyer designated black and navy blue as Wallace's balloon colors.
Family members have also shared tributes online. Wallace's cousin, Marina Nolasco, wrote that "the Wallace's have been our family through bond since before I was born," and asked for prayers for the family, noting Wallace was Tamara's first born, and also first grandchild to Jesse and Lydia. Nolasco added that "her memory will continue to live on through all those whose lives and hearts were touched by her in one way or another."
Fundraiser Reaches Goal
Wallace's mother launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs, describing her daughter as "my first born my best friend" and writing that Wallace was "a loving big sister, cherished granddaughter, niece, cousin, teammate, and friend whose kindness, bright smile, and loving spirit touched so many lives.”The campaign sought to give Wallace "the beautiful homegoing service she deserves," and as of Sunday afternoon had surpassed its $15,000 goal.