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Best friends killed in car crash on way to Cardinals game
The two best friends were just 20 years old. They were instantly linked at the hips since kindergarten, all the way up until their very last moments together.
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.
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
“This Valentine’s Day, 2025, will mark the five-year anniversary of the premiere of ‘Love is Blind,” Vanessa said on the Season 7 finale. “And, it is gonna be the launch of Season 8, which takes place in Minneapolis.”
The episode also revealed three of the new cast members, one of whom, “Alex,” told Lachey Minneapolis is “not like a major city, but it’s also not a small town,” which he said is just one of the obstacles in his way of finding the one.
“I just never found the right person that clicked for me,” he said.
Meantime, you can bone up on Seasons 1-7 streaming now on Netflix.
MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
