Editor’s note: A previously version of this article incorrectly stated that police confirmed the identity of the driver in the fatal crash.
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The mother of two sisters who were killed in a crash in Chesterfield County on March 1 spoke with 8News about the tragic event two weeks later.
On Friday, March 1, 9-year-old Ivey Birch and 5-year-old Ava Turner were killed when they were riding in a car which struck a tree off of Old Wrexham Road in Chesterfield.
Their mother, Sydney Birch, told 8News 22-year-old Zyan Stevens of Chesterfield was babysitting the sisters that night. The crash took place at around 2 a.m., when the sisters were in a 2009 Mercury Mariner driven by Stevens on their to pick Sydney up from work.
In an interview with 8News on Monday, Sydney said her two daughters were her best friends and were inseparable from each other.
“They were the sweetest, most caring people in the world. And then they were just so young and full of love, full of joy,” she said. “Ava, she was the most bubbly little girl, the sweetest. Pure love and happiness. Randomly, all throughout the day, ‘Mom, I want a hug mom. I want a hug.’ All the time.”
The Chesterfield County Police Department said speed and lack of proper safety measures played a role in the severity of the crash. Police have not confirmed whether or not Stevens was the driver and he is not facing any charges at this time.
