JUPITER FARMS, Fla. — A moment of silence— broken by the sounds of grief from a mother in mourning.
Tonight, family and dozens of community members gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember 16-year-old Jade North and her grandmother, Deidre North, both tragically killed following a crash in Jupiter over the weekend.
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“There's no words… there’s no words,” said Juanita North, Jade’s mother and Deidre’s daughter-in-law.
Filled with emotion, Juanita said her daughter was an artist — a teenager whose life and death have impacted many lives.
“They both were loved.”
77-year-old Deidre, known as “Dee-Dee” by those who knew her, was also remembered by the family. Her son, Brian, described her as a loving woman with strong family values.
“She stayed in the home, took care of us, raised us to love each other and love our family.”
Brian says his mother loved the ocean and had a passion for sea turtles. She turned 77 on July 4.
"I mourn her but I mourn the loss of my niece more, she's so young, just starting."
But as the family mourns, they are also using the tragedy to push for change, urging law enforcement to address speeding at the intersection of Randolph Siding Road and Alexander Run. They’re calling for better traffic enforcement and long-overdue safety measures.
“Safety needs to come first. The county needs to become responsible. This should be a four-way stop. It’s mandatory. It’s crucial. It has to be a four-way stop.”
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Dee-Dee and Jade died after their car was hit by a truck. PBSO says Dee-Dee failed to stop at a stop sign, but residents insist the area is problematic.
"This should be a four-way stop. It's mandatory, it's crucial, it has to be a four way stop," said Juanita North.
Juanita also called on the driver of the other vehicle to come forward.
“I am pleading and begging. He killed two people,” she said. “Our main goal for doing interviews is to make this a four-way stop. If he went the speed limit, there’s no way he would have spun the car and had it stop 150 feet from here.”
“I am begging and pleading, Mr. Wolf, please give your information to the police. We need closure. We need it.”
Surrounded by candles, family, and members of the Jupiter community, the North family says they’re hoping this tragedy will lead to change, even if it can’t bring their loved ones home.
“It’s just so hard. I’m never gonna see her again.”
