STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ — This past Sunday at 1:50 a.m., 54-year-old Melissa Oberc and her 30-year-old son Mathew were headed home from the movies. Their truck, a Ford F-150, was stopped at the traffic light on 15 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue.
Just seven minutes from home, the mother and son were ready to call it a night but in a matter of seconds, their lives changed forever.
Gas station security footage secured by 7 News Detroit reporter Faraz Javed shows the movement when the F-150 caught on fire.
Sterling Heights Police Capt. Mario Bastianelli also walked Javed through the dash camera footage to show how the tragic accident unfolded.
"There was a Dodge Charger that was here. The suspect vehicle rear-ended at a high rate of speed, an F150, forcing it through the intersection and off into the median," Bastianelli said.
The passenger, Mathew, was rushed to the hospital with severe burns and is recovering but his mom, Melissa, didn't escape the flames.
"Is this one of the worst you've seen this year?" asked Javed.
"Oh, for sure. That Dodge Charger was flying down the road. I mean, it might as well have been a missile traveling down the road. I feel for anybody involved and affected by this incident," Bastianelli said.
And it did impact many. Oberc was a critical care tech at Corwell Health in Royal Oak. Her 26-year-old daughter Kaitlyn, who also works at the hospital as a nurse tech, was working that night along with ICU nurses, Danielle Lafata and Erica Huff.
"I was in shock and denial. I didn't want to believe it. I had talked to her earlier in the night," Huff said.
"Her and her mom were best friends. They drove to work together, they took their breaks together," Lafata said.
Huff and Lafata told Javed that three years ago, Oberc lost her husband. And after this weekend's tragic loss, both Mathew and Kaitlin have lost both parents.
"They are devastated, and they are all a very close family," said Lafata.
"I would remember her as a second mom to me because she was the most humble person you would meet," said Huff.
Both Lafata and Huff have launched a GoFundMe to help Melissa's children with funeral costs and unexpected bills. They also plan to collect toys to donate to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
"That's what Mel would have wanted; you know she would have wanted us to do something for someone else," said Huff.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old driver in the Dodge Charger escaped without any injuries and was arraigned on Monday. Daitjuan Tyron Austin was charged with two felony counts of operating while intoxicated, causing death, and serious injury.
"He received a $150,000 bond for his charges. It's a horrible, tragic incident that was 100% avoidable and preventable," said Bastianelli.
As Oberc's children try healing from this never-ending pain, Bastianelli's message is simple: anytime you are driving on the road, remember your actions matter; any kind of distraction can save someone's life forever.
** Editor's note: A previous version of this story stated the wrong intersection for the crash. We have since updated the story and regret the error.
