ODESSA, Fla. — The crash happened just four days after Christmas.
Johanna Edwards was driving with her two daughters, running errands with the promise of doughnuts when they were done.
Florida Highway Patrol said a van on State Road 54 near Lakepointe Parkway in Odessa failed to stop at a traffic light and crushed the car with the Edwards family inside.
RELATED: Crash at SR 54 and Lakepoint Pkwy leaves 4 people severely injured
All three were injured.
But Kinley, just seven years old, did not survive.
Mike Moore is the family’s pastor at Grace Family Church.
“There’s nothing we are going to do to replace the loss they’ve got with Kinley. But maybe somehow we can lift up the burden for them and maybe they can get a little further down the road somehow with their healing and their grief,” he said.
Moore visited the family in the hospital and saw their father, Jonathan, who is a nurse, holding his daughter’s hand in her final moments.
“Every time an alarm would go off or a monitor would move one way or the other, it kinda broke my heart because most of us in those situations don’t know what we are looking at. You got a sense every time he looked at it, you just see a big tear come down his face and his cheek. It was difficult,” Moore said.
Johanna and 4-year-old Kaydence are still recovering from their injuries while grieving Kinley’s death.
Johanna Edwards sent us this message about her daughter:
"From the very day God blessed us with Kinley, she was smiling and she never stopped. No matter the situation Kinley always had a smile on her face, she never knew a stranger and always made friends.
She could be a bit shy but would always have a welcoming friendly most beautiful smile for anyone and everyone she ever encountered.
She was the sweetest most caring big sister and she took that role very seriously - protecting, loving, and caring for her baby sister like it was her duty.
Just before her passing, she was learning to ride the electric scooter she got from Santa like a pro, wearing her daddy out that couldn’t keep up with her on his skateboard, she would laugh and she had the most amazing laugh.
Kinley Dawne was truly a shining light in this world and this world will be a little less bright w/o her in it but we are firm believers in our God and we take comfort in knowing she’s in his heavenly arms, protecting her mommy, daddy and baby sister for the rest of our lives."
People gathered in their neighborhood this past weekend to pray.
And many have donated money on a GoFundMe set up to help with medical expenses.
“The reality of it is we are not supposed to bury our kids. Kids are supposed to bury us and that’s kind of the way we like to see that order work. So it’s heartbreaking. It’s truly heartbreaking to see that,” said Moore.
