A family is mourning a 94-year-old matriarch who was killed on her birthday when the van she was riding in was involved in a violent crash on the Florida's Turnpike in Broward.
On Tuesday, Earnestine Morris turned 94-years-old. Her daughter Thyra Johnson called to wish her happy birthday. She knew her mom was in South Florida, but unsure of what the plans were.
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“I said 'happy birthday, 94-years-old,' she said 'thank you darling,' I said 'I want you to know I love you,' she said 'I love you too,'" Johnson said.
Hours later, Morris was gone.
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The Florida Highway Patrol said Morris was in a van with eight other people when the driver of the van rear-ended a semi-truck on the Florida's Turnpike north of Griffin Road.
Morris died in the crash. The eight other people in the van were her relatives. They were rushed to the hospital.
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Johnson can only think about that phone call hours earlier.
“I did not know that yesterday would be my last conversation with my mother,” Johnson said. “I don't know what happened, only thing I know is, my mother is gone."
Johnson said the family lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She said her mother loved God and she instilled that love in her eight children. Six are still living, including Johnson. She said her mother loved people. Morris was a grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great grandmother.
“She taught and instilled in us to respect other people, that's the kind of woman my mother was,” Johnson said. "My mother was a woman of obedience and authority."
Johnson is leaning on her faith to get through the most difficult time of her life.
"He came and He took the oldest one there. He could have took them all,” Johnson said. "I have no control over the Lord's will and I accept Him for who He is."
The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
