Cancer survivor, mother among 3 teenagers killed in crash last weekend in Kansas City
By the age of 17, Aria Mia Gonzalez had twice been diagnosed with cancer and given birth to a daughter.
Just a few weeks shy of her 18th birthday, the Kansas City, Kansas, teen was killed in a crash that left two other young women dead.
Police confirmed Gonzalez was among the victims in the Oct. 1 crash in Kansas City.
Ashanti Hill and Aniyah Lewis, both 19 years old and from Kansas City, Kansas, were also killed, the Kansas City Police Department confirmed Saturday.
“(Gonzalez) was a beloved family member/friend who brought immense joy to those around her. Our real life warrior who overcame so many tough obstacles,” loved ones wrote on a GoFundMe created Friday.
She was first diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare cancer, in November 2018, just after her 14th birthday, according to a GoFundMe created for her at the time.
Gonzalez was 30 weeks pregnant when she learned her cancer had returned, loved ones wrote in the latest GoFundMe, created to help Gonzalez’s mother pay for her memorial and to help raise Gonzalez’s infant daughter, “ensuring she has the necessary resources for a stable and nurturing environment.”
She was among 75 people who have died in crashes in Kansas City so far this year, according to police.
Just before 1 a.m. Oct. 1, Hill was driving a black Ford Taurus north on Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard, lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree near East 45th Terrace, police said at the time. Gonzalez was in the front passenger seat and Lewis was in the back seat.
This story was originally published October 8, 2023 at 6:45 PM.
