DeLAND, Fla. – The parents of two of the girls killed in a fiery crash in DeLand are trying to move on, get results and get a traffic light at deadly intersection.
"They were going to the park and everything was good, they just never made it," said dad Jeff Thomas.
Though officials are still working to identify the victims, he says his two daughters Aryana Thomas, 2, and Jadyn Thomas, 4, were killed in the crash. The family also tells News 6 the girls' grandmother, Sandra Lopes and cousin Aleah Bridges, 4, were also killed.
Thomas says he can't help but feel guilty for not being there.
"I just wish I could have done something, I mean I'm their dad, I'm supposed to protect them and I couldn't and it kills me," Thomas said.
But he and his wife, Kamilia Lopes, say they can do something now, making a plea to county and state officials to get a light at that now deadly intersection.
"They need to do something about that area before it happens to somebody else," a tearful Lopes said.
News 6 called both county and FDOT but never heard back. However, Sheriff Ben Johnson was at the intersection on Wednesday and told News 6 a plan is in the works one day after he said he was planning on writing a letter to FDOT to get a light up.
"The traffic engineer has been working on this for quite sometime with the state," Johnson said. "What they are planning on doing is putting a traffic circle in here. The problem is there is no funding for it and that's something we have to push for is to get funding for this intersection so we can push this on as quickly as possible."
The sheriff said he and the county engineer plan to push for a resolution at a County Commission meeting on Thursday.
Family members are raising money for burial expenses on GoFundMe. A GoFundMe was also started for Aleah Bridges.
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