DETROIT – Two teens walking home from work were killed last Friday.
Raven Norwood, 18, and Montez Fields, 19, had wrapped up their shifts at a McDonald's on Detroit's west side. Around 8 p.m., they were killed, their families said, by a drunken driver.
Norwood and her boyfriend, Fields, had finished work and were walking along West McNichols Road between Meyers Road and Schaefer Highway when they were hit by the driver.
UPDATE: Driver cleared of wrongdoing
Fields was rushed to Sinai-Grace Hospital, where he died. Norwood died at the scene.
"Sometimes things happen and you say, 'Oh, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.' How are you in the wrong place at the wrong time when you're leaving your job and you're just walking home?" said Chrysantha Norwood, whose niece was killed.
Raven Norwood was focused on graduating high school this summer. Her aunt said the teen was very proud to wear a cap and gown.
"She just kept saying, 'Nana, I can't wait for you to see me across the stage,'" Chrysantha Norwood said.
In her short life, Raven Norwood overcame the odds. She lived with her grandmother while her mother battled addiction. Last year, her mom died suddenly from a heart attack.
"Raven took it really hard. She wanted to take care of her younger sister," Chrysantha Norwood said. "She wanted to be there for her mom, and when you lose someone, what can you do?"
Raven Norwood was working through her grief. She took on more classes at West Side Academy High School and got a part-time job at McDonald's.
"She was determined. She had great friends who supported her and helped her when she was really having challenges. They own part of her being successful," Chrysantha Norwood said.
Raven Norwood's boyfriend, Fields, also worked at McDonald's. The teen was planning to resume classes at Wayne County Community College. His family is heartbroken, but in the midst of their pain, they reached out to the Norwood family.
"It says, 'I'm Montez's dad. My wife and I are praying for you as well. We understand how difficult this is and hope this helps,'" Chrysantha Norwood said.
The Norwood family set up a GoFundMe account to help cover funeral costs.
"She was 18. We didn't have insurance, so now we're struggling to lay her to rest properly and make sure that, you know, we really honor the wonderful person that she was," Chrysantha Norwood said.
Chrysantha Norwood said the 68-year-old driver stayed at the scene until police arrived. They said he was taken into custody.