Young Kennewick mother killed in Highway 395 crash

Kelilla Hughes’ Facebook page shows her love for her family.

The 22-year-old Kennewick mom’s posts feature her daughter and son, ages 1 and 3, along with her fiance.

“She was a kind, caring and beautiful person, inside and out,” said her sister, Felicia Bergdahl. “She was my sister, but also my best friend. She was a terrific aunt, sister, daughter, niece and mom.”

The 2014 Legacy High School grad died early Friday when she veered off Highway 395 and her car flipped.

She and a co-worker, Keisha Rivera, 27, of Pasco, were heading north on the highway just before 4 a.m., the Washington State Patrol said. The two worked as house cleaners.

Investigators aren’t sure what happened next, but for some reason the SUV drove into the median, rolled and landed on its side four miles north of Pasco.

Neither was wearing a seat belt.

Hughes died at the scene and Rivera was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland but later released.

Bergdahl said Hughes, who grew up in Kennewick, was preparing to marry Eli Carrasco Montes. They’d been dating for five years.

Her life focused on her family, especially her kids, said her sister.

“She was a great mom of two beautiful babies,” she said. “Her life was taken too early.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2018 at 8:59 AM.