Mother and Two Daughters Killed in Wrong-Way Crash After Concert Celebrating Teen’s Upcoming Birthday
A night meant to create happy memories ahead of a teenager’s 17th birthday ended in tragedy when a mother and her two daughters were killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 99 near Bakersfield, California.
Vanessa Schoettler and her daughters, Kloie and Kylie, died at the scene after their Honda Accord was struck during a multi-vehicle collision early Sunday morning. Loved ones said the family had been returning from a concert they attended as part of the celebration for Kloie’s upcoming birthday.
The California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred shortly before 12:45 a.m. on Highway 99, north of 7th Standard Road.
Wrong-way vehicle involved in fatal collision
According to the California Highway Patrol, a driver traveling northbound in the southbound lanes collided with the family’s Honda Accord and another southbound vehicle.
The Accord caught fire following the impact.
Vanessa, Kloie and Kylie were pronounced dead at the scene.
A 44-year-old man driving a BMW 530i and his passenger suffered severe injuries and were taken to a hospital. Two people traveling in a third vehicle, a Chevrolet Colorado, sustained minor injuries.
Authorities have not announced a final determination about the circumstances surrounding the collision, and the investigation remains ongoing.
A birthday celebration ends in tragedy
The timing of the crash has made the loss particularly painful for those close to the family.
According to a fundraiser established for the Schoettler family, Vanessa and her daughters had gone to the concert to celebrate Kloie, who was preparing to turn 17.
Instead, what was supposed to be a weekend of celebration left the family confronting the deaths of a mother and two daughters at once.
The fundraiser described the weekend as one that should have been filled with memories surrounding Kloie’s birthday.
There is another heartbreaking connection to Aug. 20: Vanessa’s surviving son is set to turn 16 on the same day as Kloie’s birthday.
He is now facing that shared birthday without his mother and two sisters.
Fundraiser created to support surviving family
A GoFundMe was established to help Vanessa’s family with funeral and memorial expenses, immediate needs and support for her surviving son.
At the time of the report, approximately $31,000 had been raised toward a $50,000 goal.
The fundraiser emphasized the scale of the loss facing the family, saying there were few words capable of describing what relatives would have to endure in the coming weeks and months.
Photos shared with the fundraiser show Vanessa, Kloie and Kylie smiling together during the concert outing — images that now capture what became one of their final nights together.
Investigation continues
The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate the collision and has asked anyone with information about what happened to contact authorities.
Investigators have not yet provided a complete account of why the vehicle involved was traveling the wrong way on Highway 99 or announced further conclusions about responsibility for the crash.
For Vanessa’s loved ones, however, the tragedy has already transformed what was supposed to be an important family milestone.
A mother and her two daughters left home for a concert celebrating an approaching 17th birthday. By the end of the night, a surviving son and brother was left preparing to mark a birthday he once shared with his sister while grieving the loss of all three members of his family.