SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- After a tragic end to a fiery wrong-way collision, where a husband and wife were killed, their families are sharing the joy the couple brought them and the community.
The crash occurred Friday just before 10:30 a.m. when a Honda Civic traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of I-5 near Dairy Mart Road collided with a Ford sedan, according to California Highway Patrol.
RELATED: Married San Diego Police detectives among 3 killed in fiery wrong-way crash in San Ysidro
Det. Ryan Park and Det. Jamie Huntley-Park, in the Ford, were killed. In a statement to ABC 10News, Jamie's mother Cherisse Huntley said:
"Jamie was an amazing woman, daughter, sister, aunt, coach, friend and wife. She was our protector, our hero, and will be missed every minute of every day. Jamie loved the community she worked for and all of her law enforcement family. Ryan was everything to Jamie, and together they were one, and we loved them."
On behalf of the Park family, Ryan Park's brother Justin released this statement:
There is no right way to mourn and our family is at a complete loss. Ryan was a necessary lighthouse that held our family together when the winds and seas seemed nearly unbearable. As our family mourns this insufferable loss, we will continue to carry on because where there is loss, there is a life, and Ryan brought so much light and life to so many. We will continue to live in a world that Ryan Anthony Park helped light and keep alive.
Ryan had tough but joyous childhood and nothing was ever handed to him. He worked so hard for everything that he grew to have in life. When he was little he loved to walk and run everywhere to clear his head. Just for fun when he and his little brother, Jesse, were younger, they would pretend to have a ‘clicker’ that would take them to a different time and place… there is nothing more that we want now than to have that clicker so we can go back to a moment in time with him.
Ryan was a kind and compassionate soul. When he went on patrol rides, he was the kind of deputy that would leave gift cards for homeless people.
Ryan and Jamie completed each other in every possible way, and we take comfort knowing that he is with his soulmate. They did everything together and they always had a little friendly competition. Right now, we picture them traveling all over heaven, walking among the clouds together, sipping on a beer and some whisky or scotch, which Jamie loved to collect.
The Civic burst into flames after the crash, and the driver was killed, according to CHP. The identity of the female driver has not yet been released.
Traffic investigators are still looking into what led to the crash. It wasn't clear where the wrong-way driver entered the freeway and whether speed or alcohol was a factor in the crash.
A memorial fund has also been started for the officers' families.
Det. Ryan Park's cousin shared this picture of him hanging out with Det. Jamie Huntley-Park, saying:
— Jon Horn (@10NewsHorn) June 5, 2021
"He just wanted to take us (his little brother, his step brother and I) out to eat and just spend time with us. That’s just how he was. Loves his family." pic.twitter.com/1suHT9E6Wb
