Family Mourns Teen Killed in Sedro-Woolley July 4 Crash

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. — Family and friends across Whatcom and Skagit counties are mourning the loss of 19-year-old Anahi Mendoza after she was killed in an alleged impaired driving crash on the Fourth of July. As loved ones struggle to process the tragedy, they have launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses and support her grieving family.

This Crash Report is sponsored by CrashLaw.NET, a legal resource for crash victims in Whatcom County.

According to the fundraiser organized by her uncle, Chris Neustedt, Mendoza died July 4 after an alleged drunk driver struck her while she was helping her family sell fireworks in Sedro-Woolley.

Her death has left what family members describe as an unimaginable void.

A Young Woman With Big Dreams

Family members remember Mendoza as someone who constantly put others before herself.

She had recently completed another successful quarter of prerequisite coursework and planned to enroll in Bellingham Technical College this fall. Her goal was to become a radiation technician before eventually pursuing her dream of becoming an ultrasound technician.

According to relatives, she balanced school with work while helping support those around her.

“She was such a sweet, loving, smart, and kind person,” family member Ariel Lynz Bueno wrote on Facebook. “She always talked about her dream of helping the community through healthcare.”

Supporting Those She Loved

Family members say Mendoza spent the holiday doing what she often did: helping others.

She, her boyfriend Carlos Garcia and members of her family were selling fireworks to raise money for what would have been her first major trip across the country to Florida.

Instead, relatives say their lives changed forever.

“She was doing what she always did, being the backbone of her family, working hard and looking forward to the future.”

Chris Neustedt, Organizer

“She was doing what she always did, being the backbone of her family, working hard and looking forward to the future,” organizer Chris Neustedt wrote in the fundraiser.

He said Mendoza died in front of her mother, Bethany, her younger brother Lenin and her boyfriend.

Remembering Anahi

Those closest to Mendoza describe her as someone whose personality lit up every room.

She loved makeup, nails, perfume and collecting Coach purses. Pink was her favorite color, and family members say her bedroom reflected that joyful personality.

She also took great pride in her Guatemalan heritage and enjoyed learning more about her family’s roots.

Above all, relatives say she loved her family without hesitation.

They describe her as a devoted daughter, protective sister, loving girlfriend, caring cousin and proud aunt to her young nephew, Ruari.

Community Rallies Around Family

A GoFundMe created by Mendoza’s uncle has already raised nearly $27,000 through more than 330 donations.

According to the fundraiser, every dollar will go directly to her mother, Bethany, to help pay for funeral and burial expenses, memorial costs and immediate living expenses while the family takes time to grieve.

Family members are also asking people who cannot donate to share the fundraiser and keep the family in their prayers.

“This is the most devastating time of our lives,” Neustedt wrote.

A Life Gone Far Too Soon

Mendoza’s death has touched many across Northwest Washington, with friends, classmates and community members sharing memories online and offering support to her loved ones.

As the investigation into the crash continues, those who knew her hope she will be remembered not for how her life ended, but for the compassion, determination and kindness she showed every day.

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