ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ill. — Families and a whole community in St. Clair County are mourning the sudden deaths of Teagan Kelley and Ashton Jackson, who were killed in a horrific car crash on Saturday.
"They were a part of each other's daily routines. They are 20 years old, and they never got off the phone without saying, 'I love you.' They just had a bond that couldn't be broken," said Mindy Kelley, Teagan's mom.
A special bond is what Kelley and Jackson shared since the age of 4.
"They never left each other without saying, ‘I love you.’ That was one thing they always did, said, ‘I love you,’" said Brian Jackson, Ashton’s dad.
Their parents, Brian and Sabrina Jackson, and David and Mindy Kelley, are now living in their worst nightmare.
"This is probably one of the worst things a parent can go through," said Sabrina.
"As a parent, you don't expect this. You can't prepare for something like this," said David.
Teagan and Ashton were on Highway 15 in Cahokia Heights Saturday night on their way to a Cardinals game. That's when police said Teagan crashed into another vehicle, veered off the road, and hit a light pole.
Taken too soon, Teagan later died at Touchette Hospital.
Ashton was life-flighted to a St. Louis Hospital and was put on life-support.
"To get the call that your child has been taken to the hospital and the uncertainty of not knowing what has happened," Sabrina said.
After a long and difficult battle, Sabrina said Ashton passed away on Sunday night.
"We know that even though the boys aren't here anymore, they are our family. And Teagan was our son, just as much as Ashton was theirs. We love them," she said.
Ashton was able to help save two lives through the gift of organ donation, something he's always wanted to do.
"One of his kidneys went to a lady out in St. Louis, and another kidney went to a 16-year-old boy in Indiana. His legacy hopefully will continue," said Sabrina.
Bonded from the beginning to the end.
"They were inseparable. If Teagan wasn't here at Ashton's house, Ashton would be at my house. We shared holidays. We went on many vacations together," Mindy said.
The two graduated from Belleville East High School together just two years ago.
The families say they've received an outpouring of support from friends, community members, and colleagues.
"We have people reaching out to us that we didn't even know Teagan knew, saying what an amazing person he is and the things he's done for them," Mindy said.
Ashton and Teagan's families will be holding their funeral services together this Friday and Saturday. They said that's exactly how the two friends would have wanted it.
"We've been on the phone constantly with the Kelley family and we're just supporting each other, and we're keeping the boys together. Their funerals are together, they passed away together, and we're letting them go out together," said Sabrina.
Teagan worked at Marco's Express in Swansea, where Ashton also used to work.
The response to their deaths was so huge that the restaurant closed down for a few days after the accident to mourn their loss.
Marco’s Express is also closing the restaurant for Ashton and Teagan’s celebration of life on Saturday night.
The unexpected loss of both Ashton and Teagan has prompted two GoFundMe pages to be set up to help support the Jackson and Kelley families with funeral expenses.
You can donate here to Ashton’s family.
If you’d like to help Teagan’s family, you can donate here.