GWINNETT, Ga. — Kayli Guthrie spotted an accident Sunday around 1 a.m. on I-85. She stopped to help and then moments later was struck and killed.
Since Sunday, Guthrie's family has been receiving messages from the many people she impacted during the 20 years of her life.
Her aunt, Kari McGrady, described the messages the family has been receiving when she talked exclusively with 11Alive.
"This is the girl that sat with me during lunch in high school when nobody else would, this is the girl that befriended me when nobody else would, this is the girl that checked on me and made sure I did my homework. This is the person that she was," McGrady said.
Those stories and many others are now helping McGrady realize the impact her niece made.
"If I can be half as good as her in this life, then I have accomplished something amazing and that is the truth," she said with a tear in her eye.
Photos | Kayli Guthrie
Guthrie, a Dacula resident, was a sophomore at Georgia Gwinnett College, studying psychology and she planned to become a nurse after college. Her aunt believes it was her need to help which led to her stop on Sunday.
Gwinnett County Police said the crash happened on I-85 north just south of Pleasant Hill Road. A 64-year-old man driving a Ford Explorer hit a median wall. After seeing that accident, Guthrie stopped her vehicle to check on the driver of the Explorer, police said.
"When 99 percent drove by, she was that 1 percent that stopped," McGrady said and she added Guthrie pulled off to the side of the road and put her hazard lights on.
At the same time, 27-year-old Jonathan Gresham was approaching the scene in a Ford Fusion. Gresham attempted to stop, but struck the rear of the Explorer and continued between it and the median wall, according to police.
Guthrie was standing outside of her vehicle -- directly in the path of the Fusion, police said. She was struck and killed.
The driver of the Explorer, Elvester Sykes, was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was charged with driving under the influence -- less safe for the initial accident, police said.
Gresham was charged with homicide by vehicle in the first degree, reckless driving, failure to drive within a single lane and driving under the influence -- less safe.
As Guthrie's family prepares for her funeral, McGrady believes she would hold no ill will against any of the drivers involved.
"If Kayli was here right now I know what she would do," McGrady said. "She would put her arm around my shoulder and she would just give me a little love and a cheesy smile and say it is all good Aunt Kari, that is what she would do."
Now her family wants her life and the story of her death to serve as a reminder for everyone else.
"When you're thinking about the things that you're going to do on a daily basis, whatever it is - that you're thinking about other human beings in the process and how you're impacting them and how you're impacting your own life," McGrady said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for the funeral.