Community honors Buffalo woman killed in Philadelphia car crash

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – The family of a Buffalo woman killed in a car crash in Philadelphia held a vigil on the city’s East Side Friday.

On June 8, Mariah Clemons, 22, was visiting a friend in Philadelphia. According to her family, she was involved in a minor accident with a U-Haul truck on westbound I-76. As she was exchanging information in the right lane of the highway, a dump truck struck the rear of the U-Haul truck, propelling it forward.

The U-Haul truck struck three people, a man who was reportedly driving the vehicle and a woman who was in the SUV with Clemons. Clemons’ family said Clemons was pinned under the U-Haul truck and a forklift was needed to remove him.

“They were left there for 40 minutes before help arrived,” said Ariel Wills, a friend of Clemons who spoke with the man involved in the crash. “She was airlifted to the hospital, but her friend died at the hospital.”

Clemons suffered injuries to her pelvis, bladder, intestines and femur. She underwent multiple surgeries but succumbed to her injuries on July 1. Her family traveled more than 300 miles and was at Clemons’ bedside at the time of her death.

“It was pretty upsetting,” said Ashley Clemons, Mariah Clemons’ sister. “The Buffalo police had to contact us instead of the Philadelphia police. So we didn’t really know what was going on.”

At Friday’s vigil, family members described Clemons as the light of the room, saying she always had the biggest smile on her face. She was the youngest of 18 siblings and aspired to be a model. Hundreds of balloons were released in Clemons’ honor in yellow, her favorite color.

“We called her Miss Hollywood. She was our superstar,” Ashley Clemons said. “She was the youngest of all of us. She was our everything.”

Family members say the pain will always linger, but they plan to keep Clemons’ memory alive wherever they go. They say she will always be 22.

“She loved life, Mariah loved life. That’s what I want everybody to remember about her,” Willis said.

Clemons’ funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 12. The family is collecting donations to help cover funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.