Newlyweds Killed in Head-On Crash 3 Weeks After Their Wedding: ‘They Had Each Other’

A newlywed couple tragically died in a head-on collision in New Mexico, just three weeks after their wedding.

Serenne Mikel and Casey Daniel, both 23, were traveling along Highway 371 in Albuquerque on Tuesday, July 29, when the crash occurred, according to KIRO-TV.

Truck driver George Stokes told the Tri-City Record that he was sitting in traffic around 3:45 p.m. when he saw a car speed past before slamming into the couple’s vehicle.

As Stokes approached the scene, the couple’s car was already on fire, KIRO-TV reported. Several people, including the trucker, tried to help, but Serenne and Casey died at the scene within minutes.

The pair had been on their way to Texas to begin their new life together, KIRO-TV said. Both had ties to Palau in Micronesia.

Serenne’s aunt, Brea Mikel, said her niece — also known as Dildanges — had been married to Casey for just 22 days before the accident, according to a GoFundMe she organized.

Brea shared that Serenne, who was driving at the time of the crash, had celebrated her 23rd birthday on July 5. “Dildanges was so excited to start her new life in Texas with her husband, and that life was unfairly taken from both of them,” she wrote on the fundraiser page.

Serenne’s grandmother, Leola Melengoes, told KIRO-TV her granddaughter had been “happy” and “excited” about the move. “The only comfort we have in that crash is Serenne and Casey were together. That they had each other,” Brea added.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 6, nearly $6,000 had been raised through the GoFundMe campaign for Serenne’s family. Loved ones hope to transport Serenne and Casey’s remains to Palau and cover funeral expenses.

“Our family is still reeling from this devastating loss,” Brea wrote. “We’re asking our friends, family, and community to help us during this time of need.”