A Texas teenager died in a devastating rollover crash just weeks before her 19th birthday, newly released surveillance footage shows as she lost control of her vehicle.
Serenity Rangel, 18, was driving to her boyfriend’s home in Dallas late Thursday when her car overturned. Authorities are investigating the fatal collision.
Investigators believe Rangel was traveling at a high rate of speed when she veered off the roadway and plunged down an embankment, eventually landing on a service road, Fox 4 reported.
Video shared online appears to show the car rolling at least three times down the slope before sparks erupted near two parked vehicles.
The vehicle then flipped another three times before coming to rest on its roof.
Rangel was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have not yet released an official cause of death, leaving her family and friends struggling to process the sudden loss.
“What was she thinking?” her friend Jayla Carrizales told NBC 6.
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“Who made her go that fast? What caused it? Was she mad? I wish she would have told me how she felt.”
Rangel’s family described her as a “bright, joyful light that filled every room.” She was expected to turn 19 on Nov. 29.
“Serenity truly enjoyed life, always getting into something, embracing every moment, and living life to the absolute fullest,” her family wrote in her obituary.
“She achieved a proud milestone in graduating high school and was actively attending college, stepping confidently into a bright future with her whole life ahead of her.
“As she grew into a young woman, her passion blossomed through makeup and fashion expressing her artistry, beauty, and unique style in everything she touched.”
Her family also remembered Rangel’s “incredible talent for music” and said she loved teasing her brother whenever he scrolled through TikTok.
According to her family, Rangel would begin singing along to whichever song appeared in the video.
“Her time with us was far too short, but her fierce spirit, her laughter, music, her accomplishments and her radiant smile will live on forever in the hearts of those who loved her most,” her family said.