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Friends Remember Crash Victim

Posted: 8:53 PM Jan 20, 2013
Reporter: Landon Cassman

Friends and family of the victims in the Rockford crash early Monday morning, have been visiting the spot where they lost their loved ones. Friends say one of the young women was never afraid to speak her mind.

"When you down you can call Desi and she'll make you laugh, and that's going to be missed," said Shunkita Henderson. "Especially her face. Seeing her face and her smile."

Henderson said Desiree Mannery always knew how to make her laugh, and that's what she'll miss about her most.

Mannery was sitting in the front passenger's seat when the car swerved off the road and hit a tree. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

Since the accident, friends have been placing flowers near the tree trunk the 23-year-old lost her life.

"Everybody misses her,. We all miss her so much," said childhood friend Ashley Blicoe. "We lost right now. I don't know what I'm going to do the coming up week because I can't call her, I can't text her. I can't go to her house. I mean, that was like my best friend. I love her."

Now, friends and family are left with many questions.

"I just want to know, how did it happen, was she scared?" said Blicoe. "Did she know what was coming? I just, so many, so many. And just, now I'll never have the answers to them."

The Rockford Police Department is currently investigating the cause of the crash.

Several neighbors said this intersection has seen its share of accidents. They said cars can usually be heard speeding down the road at all hours of the night.

We also spoke with the family of Desiree Mannery, but they say they're not ready to talk on camera at this time.