Jhenéy Wallace has sadly passed away at the age of 20. Wallace, a college athlete with dreams of making it to the WNBA, died when her vehicle fell 80 feet down an embankment. The incident occurred on Wednesday, July 15.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The accident occurred on the I-15 freeway in the Cajon Pass. That stretch of road has a reputation as one of the most dangerous sections in all of California. There has been a string of road accidents on that stretch in recent years.
In response, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department issued a press release.
"Passenger Jheney Harris, a 20-year-old resident of Victorville, was pronounced dead at the scene," the press release said.
Wallace's mother, Tamara Wallace, has since paid tribute while speaking with local station KTLA5.
"She was a great daughter. She was my best friend, my first-born. Always kept me smiling and encouraged me to do things. She was the best sister to her little sister and brother, very bubbly, always happy and loving," Tamara said.
Wallace attended Victor Valley Community College, where she was part of the basketball team. At 20 years old, she had her whole life in front of her, with plenty of time to chase her dream of making it to the professional level.
Victory Valley Basketball Team Issues Statement on Death of Jhenéy Wallace
Once news of Wallace's death became public, Victor Valley Community College's basketball team issued a tribute.
"Jheney was more than a teammate—she was a friend, a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a granddaughter, and a cherished member of our Ram family whose impact will never be forgotten," the statement, which was posted to Instagram, said.
A GoFundMe has now been started to help Wallace's family with the cost of her funeral and service. So far, the fundraiser has generated over $14,500 in donations. It will likely hit its $15,000 goal in the coming days.
There are no further details regarding what led to the crash that took Wallace's life. In the meantime, a memorial event in her honor will take place on Sunday, July 19, at the Civic Center Park in Apple Valley.
