Taylorville, IL (WAND) – A Taylorville family is mourning the heartbreaking loss of a young girl who, in the words of her mother, was nothing short of a light in the lives of everyone she met.

15-year-old Tabitha Freeman was one of three juveniles tragically killed in a car crash Tuesday morning outside Taylorville.

The names of the other two victims have not been released.

WAND News spoke with Freeman’s family, who described her as a kind and caring individual with a profound love for animals and people, as well as a passion for being her unique self.

“She was a light,” said Tabitha’s mother Jaimie Freeman while holding back tears. “That’s the only way I’ve been able to describe her to people.”

Her mother said Tabitha was the kind of person who made everyone feel important — whether you were a close friend or a new acquaintance.

“If you knew her and she knew you, you were important to her,” Jaimie said. “She cared deeply for everybody. She would do everything she could to take care of whoever she could, no matter what.”

Her presence left a lasting mark on those around her. Scott Flemming II, a close family friend, recalls how quickly their bond formed.

“I made friends with her so quickly,” Flemming said. “I taught her so many new things she could do. I got her out of her comfort zone… it just sucks to not have her here.”

Tabitha embraced life with an eccentric, joyful spirit — never afraid to be exactly who she was.

“Ever since she was little, we called her our little hippie flower child,” Jaimie said. “She marched to the beat of her own drum.”

Her mother said one of her signature loves was Hello Kitty — and Tabitha could often be seen wearing clothing or accessories that showed off her favorite character. That love now carries deeper meaning.

“The day I came home after we were told the news, it was like it was meant to be,” Jaimie shared. “Her Hello Kitty hoodie was just sitting on the couch. I took it right away and put it on. I haven’t taken it off since.”

What hurts most, her mother said, is grieving the life and future her daughter will never get to experience.

“I don’t get to see her ever again,” Jaimie said. “She’s never going to come home and I’m never going to hear a story of what she did with so-and-so earlier in the day, or you know, what adventures she went on with all these people. There’s not going to be any more future stories for her.”

Tabitha’s death has left an enormous hole in the lives of her mother and her four siblings.

“I’ll see something or think of something, and I’ll instantly think of her,” Jaimie said. “My first thought is to call out to her, to show her, to talk to her. And then I have to remind myself she’s not here.”

As the Freeman family holds tight to memories and mementos, their community is rallying around them — remembering a teenager who made the world a little brighter, just by being in it.

Tuesday’s early morning crash is still under investigation. Police have not publicly released how the crash happened near County Road 1400 East and 1100 North.

Taylorville schools has provided additional counselors at all of its schools to help students and staff cope with the tragedy.