(Photo Courtesy: Desa Johnson-Walls)
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) -The family of the 15-year-old killed in a Jacksonville car crash are speaking out following her death.
Adelisa “Addy” Johnson was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Jan. 23 at the intersection of Mount Zion and Gravel Springs roads in Jacksonville.
Now, Addy’s parents are speaking out for the first time since her death.
Addy’s mom, Desa Johnson-Walls, said the night Addy died, she was on her way home from a shopping trip with friends in Springfield.
Addy Johnson’s family speaks out about the night she died
Johnson-Walls recalled asking Addy to stop for a milkshake before she got home, and Addy said, “I got you mama and I’ll be home in 15 minutes.”
Once 45 minutes passed, Johnson-Walls began checking her Life360 app, where she saw the vehicle Addy was in was going 89 miles per hour.
She said she texted Addy to tell her friends to slow down, but the text went unanswered.
“She usually texts me back right away and the speed was 89,” Johnson-Walls said. “Then she became idle. She stayed in one space for like an hour and was not moving, and it was way out in the country where she wasn’t supposed to be.”
Johnson-Walls told us her son’s coworkers informed them there had been an accident, and her son said to check on Addy.
Addy’s stepfather, Mick Walls, left work and headed to the scene of the crash after being informed she wasn’t at the hospital.
He said law enforcement wouldn’t allow him to get near Addy.
“So I stayed out there like as long as she’s out there, I’m staying out there. When she goes, I go,” he said.
Since the crash, Addy’s parents said some days have been harder than others, but they’re working to keep her memory alive.
Addy’s parents said she was the loudest one in the house, waking everybody up at 6:30 a.m.
But most importantly, they said she had the brightest personality and tried to make time for everyone.
“Everything you want in your kid, your child, like she had it all,” both parents said. “She’s every parent’s dream child.”
Addy’s family shares memories of their loved one
Addy’s parents said she was a teen who put everyone’s feelings before herself. She was known as a planner who set goals for her future and liked to involve herself in multiple activities.
“She loved playing every sport and wanted to be at every place she got invited to,” Johnson-Walls said. “I’m like, you don’t have time to do all of that.”
Walls said she loved to play the drums, even if it was at the wrong time of day. He said he will cherish memories of her, even as small as getting ice.
“I can hear her getting ice and ice hitting the floor,” Walls said. “I can hear her kicking it under the refrigerator and I’m like, ‘Pick it up,’ and she’s like, ‘You heard that?’”
Johnson-Walls said Addy was a big grandma’s girl who would come to her rescue when she needed her.
“If I did something that she wanted and I didn’t do it,” Johnson-Walls said, “she would text my mom and she would tell on me, ‘Mom’s not doing this.’”
The night Addy died, her parents said her friends did a trend called “the bump,” where teens would drive on hilly roads at a fast speed and see how high their cars could get.
They found out about the trend after the crash, after seeing Addy talk about it in a text message. Her parents said they were unaware of what it was, and Addy’s friend explained it to them.
“I think a lot of parents need to know about the bump because we didn’t know what that was,” Johnson-Walls said. “We just found out after that. There was a text message that she sent to her friends that they wanted to go on the bump and then she would be home.”
Despite her tragic death, Addy’s parents said they will continue to do the things she loved to do and keep her legacy alive.
Addy’s parents said a lot of community members have approached them to share how kind Addy was and the impact she had on their lives.
Her parents said they are going to set up a memorial at their home to allow Addy’s friends to come and visit.
The Jacksonville community is also rallying behind Addy’s family.
Jacksonville Superintendent Steve Ptacek said support poured in right away following the crash, with students showing up at a local church to be there for one another.
There was also a special area at the high school dedicated to students and staff writing cards and letters to the family.
“One of the art teachers at the high school had drawn just a beautiful painting of Addy,” Ptacek said. “Brought it to the church for students to sign, so we can eventually, when the time is right, give this to the family.”
Ptacek went on to say these actions show how much of a positive community Jacksonville is, and he’s proud of the love everyone has shown toward Addy and her family.