Family grieves loss of beloved mother and daughter after tragic crash

Family remembers mother, child killed in crash

A family is grieving after a car went into the water in Channelview, killing a woman and her 1-year-old daughter.

HOUSTON, Texas - A local family is heartbroken after the tragic loss of a beloved mother, 39-year-old Crystal Hall Njepu and Crystal’s 1-year-old daughter Annah.

Medical emergency leads to family tragedy

The backstory:

On April 25, authorities said Crystal suffered a medical emergency while driving on Market Street and crashed into the San Jacinto River.

At the crash scene, there’s a memorial that honors Crystal and Annah.

Heroic Actions: Bystander saves young children 

FOX 26 told you about Augustin Garcia who jumped into the water and smashed the car window to rescue Crystal’s 5-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. Both kids were taken to the hospital and have been released. The family said they are forever grateful.

What they're saying:

"I want to thank him for being the hand and feet of Jesus and saving our sweet niece and nephew and allowing us to be able to continue to love on them," said Shannon Jackson. "We just want to thank him. I mean words could not express our sincere thanks for him risking his life to save theirs."

Community supports family through tragic loss

Local perspective:

Crystal's family said it will be incredibly hard to move forward without them, saying Crystal was very smart and Annah was a happy baby. The community is coming together to help cover funeral costs and support the two surviving children.

"We would like to thank the community for all their love and support. There are many people that don’t even know them that have sent funds to help and support the kids," said Jackson.