DRAPER, Utah — It was an incredibly emotional day for the hundreds of people gathered for a celebration of life on Saturday to honor 17-year-old Ava Olivarez and 15-year-old Xander Hover.
On April 2, Olivarez was driving Hover and 15-year-old Corey Wayman along a highway in Juab County when the truck lost control and ran off the road, causing it to roll over multiple times.
All three were not wearing their seatbelts and got ejected, ultimately killing Olivarez and Hover and leaving Wayman critically injured.
Songs, prayers and speeches could be heard coming from the church, with loved ones sharing memories and stories about what each child was like.
“Beautiful, fierce, strong, genuine, courageous, pure light. These are just a few of the things that I've heard over the last seven days,” said Ava’s dad, Aaron Olivarez. "There's so many firsts that she will not have. Her graduation, college days, Top Fuel championship. There was so many firsts that she did. She touched so many people's lives here.”
“Some of my favorite things about Xander was we were always in competition. It didn't matter what it was. I could get home from a softball game and be like, 'Oh, I hit two home runs.' And he’d be like, 'Oh, I would have hit like 10,'” said Xander’s sister, Brittany Pro. "He was the best brother anyone could ask for. We're going to miss him.”
The joint service represented how close Ava and Xander were, with the church filled to the brim with loved ones they left an impression on, including Wayman, who was lucky to even be there.
“I know I'm here for a reason. Don't know how I survived, but I'm just going to keep living for them. Everything they do,” he said.
Above all, the message was having hope that one day they will see Ava and Xander again, and besides his daughter’s memories, it’s something Ava’s dad clings to as he goes through his own health journey.
“I’m going to do everything I can to get through this cancer. However, at this point, I'm not afraid. When it's her time to come get me, I hope it's her that's welcoming me with open arms,” he said.
There are GoFundMe pages for both families to help with the costs. Xander's can be found HERE. Ava's can be found HERE.
