WATERTOWN, Wis. — A Watertown mother is leaning on her family and friends after discovering her son passed away in a car crash when she found the 18-year-old in his car in the woods.
According to the Dodge County Sheriff's Department, Caleb Guatemala died Saturday after deputies said he drove off a curved road on County Highway Q and Pit Rd outside of Watertown and then crashed into multiple trees.
"This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my entire life, and I don't wish it on anybody," Caleb's mom, Rachel Finn said. "When moms know or feel something that's wrong with their kids, follow your intuition. Follow it because it's true."
She found him after searching for his phone's latest location, saying it had died, but still helped her find his car.
Watch: Watertown mother mourns 18-year-old son she found dead after car crash
Finn said the sheriff's office told her the crash happened early Saturday morning, but she and the rest of his family just thought he was spending the day hanging out with friends—until he didn't come home or respond to phone calls.
"I wish I could say I was doing fine, but I'm really not," Caleb's brother Gabrien Garcia-Finn said. "It's been hard going to the house and not being insulted when I walk into the door. That's brotherly love right there."
Caleb's friends can't believe he's gone.
"He's the one person we all knew we could go to about anything," Laila Aucutt said. "[We] can't say that anymore."
The family said they do not know why he drove off the road. Currently, they're waiting on the investigation to possibly find out what led to the crash, but until then, they're trying to support each other by remembering Caleb.
"He loved everybody," Caleb's aunt Angela Hernandez said. "He made sure that everybody knew that he loved them at all times."
A love his community will miss.
"He was an amazing soul," Hernandez said. "He was a bright light and it shined on everyone."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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