WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Family and friends held each other in tears at a vigil for 18-year-old Maryxa Valle Zepeda who died in a crash Sunday morning.
They gathered at the corner of 60th and Burnham in front of a pile of mangled streetlights and car parts where there was also a growing memorial honoring Zepeda’s life.
“My baby is gone,” Rosa Zepeda, her mother, cried. “My baby is gone and she was taken”.
The family launched a GoFundMe to honor Zepeda’s life. They have a $30,000 goal.
They describe Zepeda as an amazing aunt, daughter, and sister.
“She was hardworking,” Zepeda’s mom remembered. “She was so happy because she was going to move out and get her own apartment in two months. That was taken from her.”
They also said Zepeda loved to dance and loved her family. Her aunt, Amalia Zepeda, spoke at the vigil.
“A lot of people here know her. They knew the way that she was: really sweet. You only needed to know her to win her heart,” Zepeda’s aunt said.
The West Allis Police Department said in a statement they believe Zepeda was the passenger in a Pontiac driven by an intoxicated driver who blew a red light.
The Pontiac crashed into a Jeep and also hit two pedestrians in the area.
The 18-year-old woman who was driving the Jeep and two pedestrians, a 53-year-old man and a 50-year-old man, were taken to a local hospital for their injuries.
The West Allis Police Department said the driver of the Pontiac is a 20-year-old man. He was arrested for suspicion of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.
“I think it’s awful,” Callie Birmingham said. She lives just one block away.
“People driving, from what I hear, at a crazy speed, when they’re young, with their whole lives ahead of them, and on top of it all, under the influence of drugs and alcohol. I have an eight-year-old so the fact that someone is losing a child is absolutely devastating.”
Rosa Zepeda lost a daughter. Others in the community lost their friend.
“I cannot lie to you, I cannot say one bad thing about her. She’s such a beautiful soul,” Alex Escobar, a friend, said during the vigil.
Another friend at the vigil said she had just seen Zepeda the night before she died.
“Even when we saw her yesterday, she was just full of life. She was always dancing and having a good time. Never did I realize that would be the last time,” the friend said.
According to Wisconsin Community Maps, there have been eight other crashes at 60th and Burnham since 2019.
“I always just assume it has to do with driving because people drive crazy around here,” Birmingham said.
According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's investigative report, Zepeda was in the passenger seat of a vehicle estimated to be traveling up to 100 miles per hour.
Original press release from police:
On Sunday, 04/23/2023 at approximately 12:30 a.m., the West Allis Police Department Communications Center
received phone calls regarding a serious motor vehicle crash at the intersection of S. 60th Street and W. Burnham
Street. Upon arrival, officers located two vehicles in front of the business on the southeast corner of the
intersection. Officers discovered two pedestrians were also involved in the crash.
Initial investigation indicates a Pontiac, occupied by a male driver and female passenger, was traveling eastbound
on Burnham St., did not stop for a red light and struck a Jeep, the female driver was the sole occupant, traveling
south on 60th St. The collision caused the vehicles to leave the roadway and strike two pedestrians. Driver
impairment and speed are suspected to be factors in the crash.
Tragically, the female passenger of the Pontiac, an 18-year-old from Milwaukee died because of the crash. The
driver of the Jeep, an 18-year-old, a 53-year-old male pedestrian and a 50-year-old male pedestrian (all from
Milwaukee) were transported to a hospital for treatment of their injuries. The driver of the Pontiac, a 20-year-old
from West Allis, was transported to the hospital and is also under arrest for suspicion of homicide by intoxicated
use of a motor vehicle.
The crash remains under investigation.
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