#Funeral fundraisers for teens in Yonkers crash raise nearly $100,000

Fundraisers for the funerals of four teenagers killed in a “catastrophic” crash in Yonkers on Tuesday have raised nearly $100,000.

Separate GoFundMe appeals from family and friends of Branden Sierra, Tamari Watkins, Randy Brisbane and Anthony Cruz, all of them 18 years old, have so far raised about $96,000 for funeral expenses.

“He was an amazing soul and lit up whatever room he walked in,” wrote Alexa Soto in her appeal for funeral expenses for Sierra, who was studying mechanics when he was killed along with his three friends in the Dec. 22 crash.

A driver plowed into the group’s silver 2006 Nissan, which split in half. Devon Haywood, 36, who crashed into the teenagers’ car during a police pursuit, died in hospital a short time later.

Sierra’s family raised nearly $30,000 while a friend of Brisbane’s raised nearly $19,000, according to their GoFundMe pages. Watkins’ aunt, Tianna Davon, has so far raised $24,992 and Anthony Cruz raised $22, 310 for his son’s funeral expenses.

“Please help us raise money to help my nephew TJ (Tamari Watkins) be put to death properly,” wrote Davon on the GoFundMe page.

Police are not sure why Haywood, a career criminal, fled from them, causing the horrific crash.