3 Sisters Were Headed Home When Their Car Crashed. The Only Survivor Called Their Mom Thanks to a Stranger

Three sisters in their 20s were driving home from their cousin’s graduation party in South Africa earlier this month when their vehicle crashed. Two of the young women later died, while their eldest sister was badly injured but managed to call their mother from the scene with the help of a stranger.

Their uncle tells PEOPLE that his sister “is really battling with this one.”

“Two of her three girls have now gone,” he says.

Janene Moodley, a 49-year-old single mother, lived with daughters Cassidy, 22, Connor, 24, and Storm, 27, in Johannesburg. The three shared a deep bond that shaped both their lives and their ambitions.

“These were bubbly little personalities, loved by everybody,” says their uncle, Lance Poonawassy, 54. “They were well on their way to reaching their dreams.”

The sisters were determined to attend the graduation party of their cousin Keeran Poonawassy in Cape Town — the family’s first large gathering since the death of their grandfather three years earlier.

“What an awesome time, lots of fun, tears of joy,” Lance recalls of his 27-year-old son’s celebration on Friday, Sept. 12. Just two days later, that joy turned into devastation.

On Sunday morning, the sisters left for Johannesburg to return to work. Cassidy was a full-time teacher just six months away from earning her education degree. Connor had recently been promoted in her job as a personal assistant. Storm, working in finance, had just completed a contract.

Janene, who stayed home, had spoken to her daughters shortly before the crash about what they wanted for dinner. Thirty minutes later, when they were halfway through their journey, tragedy struck.

According to Lance, the car blew a tire while Connor was driving. “Unfortunately, the car veered off the road and rolled about 300 meters,” he says of the crash near Britstown in Klein Karoo, a valley surrounded by mountains. “All three of them were actually flung out of the car.”

The South African Police Service did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Visiting the crash site later, Lance described the scene as haunting. The road was straight, with visible rubber marks from Connor’s attempt to brake.

About 40 minutes passed before a passerby found the wreck. Storm, though badly injured, was conscious enough to give her mother’s phone number, allowing rescuers to call Janene roughly 45 minutes after the accident.

“She was totally distraught,” Lance recalls of his sister’s reaction. “She was in absolute shock.”

By the time family members traveled to reach the sisters, Cassidy and Connor had died en route to the hospital. Storm survived with bruises, cuts, and bleeding on the brain.

Lance says Janene refused to believe her two youngest daughters were gone until she saw them herself. “They were in gurneys lying on the floor, and she was holding both of them in total disbelief, just distraught,” he remembers. “She just cried.”

Storm later learned of her sisters’ deaths while recovering in the hospital. She has since been discharged and is now at home, healing alongside her grieving mother.

“They would do everything, literally everything together with their mom,” Lance says, adding that the sisters had already begun planning Janene’s 50th birthday for next summer. “It’s absolutely difficult for her now.”

Janene shared her heartbreak on social media. On the day of the crash, she posted a photo with Connor, writing: “My poppet, losing you and Cass is, by far, [the] greatest weight I’ve ever had to carry. In pieces [right now].”

One week later, ahead of the funeral on Sept. 20, she posted again: “Tomorrow, my girls will conclude their journey on this earth. From the depths of our shattered hearts, my family and I would like to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming love and support we’ve received since our nightmare began on Sunday.”

The sisters’ alma mater, Roosevelt High School in Roosevelt Park, also honored Cassidy and Connor in a moving tribute.

“These two remarkable young women were the very definition of sunshine in human form, and their absence has left a void that words can scarcely describe,” the school wrote in a statement signed by the principal, staff, and students.

“The Moodley sisters were more than siblings; they were one,” the tribute concluded. “Together with their mom, lovingly known as ‘Neen,’ and their older sister, Storm, they formed an unbreakable bond. Our hearts ache for Janene and Storm, who are carried in our thoughts and prayers during this devastating time.”