RACINE — Dozens of people joined together at North Beach in Racine Friday to share fond memories of a beloved young girl tragically killed by a reckless driver.
Seventeen-year-old Tyreanna Scales died following a Sunday crash when a driver, who authorities said was going more than 90 mph slammed into her car.
Scales was stopped at a red light with four passengers, all fellow teenagers who were injured in the crash.
“It was a lot of denial and shock,” friend Seniyyah Simmons said. “I just wouldn't believe at first, cuz I'm like ‘no, it's not Tyreanna,’ not the one I was just talking to, not her.”
Simmons was one of many young faces that filled the crowd at the beach honoring the life taken too soon.
She told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin that she’s finding comfort in remembering Scales for her love of cooking, taste in music, and selfless attitude.
“She was a good friend to me, a really good friend,” Simmons shared. “She was just so nice so sweet.”
“Her smile just lit up a room,” another friend Jakarie Higginbottom echoed.
Fellow teen Anthony Hatley said he's struggling with the idea that his friend, since middle school, won’t be a part of his life the way she used to.
“I just love her,” Hatley said. “This was my everyday person like literally. If you see me, you see Tyreanna.”
While they’re still coping with the tragedy, many shared they’re finding comfort in knowing Scales is in a better place.
The Racine County Sheriff’s Office said the man responsible was a 34-year-old man with a prior OWI charge. Charges in Sunday’s crash are pending.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
