Two TCU students created a GoFundMe page for the family of the woman killed in a car crash that led to the arrest of two TCU students on Saturday night.
Elena Infante DeFlores, 46, was on her way to pick up her daughter from work when her Saturn was struck by a Chevrolet Tahoe near the intersection of Benbrook Boulevard, Granbury Road, McCart Avenue and Cleburne Avenue.
DeFlores left behind two children, a daughter, Sandi, 26, and a son, Benjamin, 22.
Melanie Arango and Alyssa Crouse, junior fashion merchandising majors, are friends with Sandi. The two decided to create a fundraiser to help the family pay for funeral costs and other expenses.
“We wanted her to not have to worry about going back to work for a while so that she could actually take the time to make sure her mom could be buried properly, and so that she can get the closure and mourning that she needs as well,” Crouse said.
The GoFundMe page raised more than $2,000 in one day. So far, 25 people have made donations.
“I just saw that people were willing to help because it was really something that could have been prevented,” Arango said.
Mario Abad, a senior fashion merchandising major, was one of the first people to donate.
Abad is a close friend of the DeFlores family and knew Elena well. He said she was a warm and accepting woman.
“They had the most open mother-daughter relationship. She would tell her everything and her mother was very supportive of her decisions,” Abad said.
Crouse said Sandi and her brother are both supporting themselves.
“We wanted to help them jump start their savings so they could move out and start a new life,” Abad said.
Arango and Crouse are asking people to donate and share the link to the page on social media.
Arango said they also hope the campaign brings attention to the repercussions of drinking and driving.
“I think drunk driving here on campus is seen more often than it should be. I think this is also a way to raise awareness of what the consequences are of it,” Arango said.
Crouse and Arango have not told Sandi about the page yet. They said they are planning to surprise her.
“I think she’ll be happy to see how the TCU community is supporting her and not just her close family. I think people here are devastated by the fact that two TCU students did this,” Crouse said.
