A Washington community is mourning the loss of a 15-year-old girl who was killed in a car crash while secretly making deliveries to earn some extra cash to spend on family and friends at Christmas.

In the early hours of December 2, 15-year-old Grace Horn from Oak Harbor, Washington, snuck out of the friends’ home she was staying to hit the road and earn some extra cash ahead of the holidays.

Her parents, Jacob and Jennifer Horn later explained that the teenager used her mother’s DoorDash account – without permission – to surprise her family and friends with gifts at Christmas.

“We didn’t know,” her mother Jennifer told CBS affiliate KIRO 7 News, explaining she thought her daughter was safely tucked into bed. “Sometimes her huge heart clouded her judgment.”

Her father added, “There’s no end, she’d literally do anything for anyone. She’s always wanted to give things to people.”

Thick fog

Washington State Patrol reported that Grace lost control of the vehicle on Highway 20 near Libbey Road around 3 a.m., veering off the road and striking a pole due to poor visibility.

The young girl died at the scene and police say preliminary investigations reveal that she was travelling at “speeds too fast for the conditions.”

“She had a goal in mind. She was on a mission. She was making money. She was gonna buy her gifts and have them ready for Christmas… She loved Christmas,” Jennifer said of her teen daughter, adding the pain of their loss is “insurmountable.”

“Ever since then it just feels like we’re hollow,” she adds.

“To the point where you cry and there’s no more tears, you just get a headache from crying,” Jacob said.

‘It’s been really hard’

Described as a peacekeeper with a hilarious sense of humor, the grieving mom tells King 5 News that she was “witty. Like, so, so witty,” while her dad says she was “silly, just doing stuff, saying things, whatever she could do to get a laugh and make people happy.”

Meanwhile, the community is rallying around the Horn family, offering their emotional and financial support.

“This is something no parent should ever have to go through. Instead of planning for Grace’s Christmas presents being wrapped and opened, it quickly shifted to the intrusive thoughts, the, “what ifs,” the planning of the funeral of your one and only princess,” writes Christine Messmer, who organized a GoFundMe, that as of December 12 raised almost $21,000 of its $20,000 goal. “Her Mama was her world, and her Daddy was her knight in shining armor. Filled with such innocence, she was taken too young.”

Messmer adds, “The loving parents were supposed to be spending this week wrapping presents for her to open.”

Reflecting on the Christmas presents that Grace will never open, her mom says, “We’ve got boxes in the mail. We’re getting emails that they’re in transit, and it’s just another reminder, and it’s just, it’s been really hard.”

Grace’s enduring legacy

As Grace’s parents grapple with their overwhelming grief, Grace’s older brother, Gauvin, is mourning while doing his best to support them. “He’s doing okay, he’s coping the best he can as a teenage boy. He’s trying to be strong for us. He sees that we are destroyed. I can’t even think of a better word for it. So, he tries to be strong for us.”

Grace’s parents are determined to honor her memory by channeling her compassionate spirit into their future efforts. Jennifer, a Purple Heart recipient who was injured during a mortar explosion while serving in Iraq, now plans to carry the medal in tribute to her daughter. The family also intends to give back in ways that reflect Grace’s generous heart and her enduring legacy.

“We’ve talked about creating a space for kids called Grace’s Place so we want to live on her legacy because that’s what she’d want us to do,” Jennifer said.

DoorDash commented on the incident, saying, “This is an unthinkable and horrible tragedy, and our hearts go out to Grace’s parents and all who loved her.”

The company also said Dashers have to be at least 18 to deliver for them in Washington and that Grace was using someone else’s account, which her parents confirmed belonged to Jennifer.

Rest in peace, Grace. Please share your best wishes to the family in the comments section below and then share this story with your friends so we can spread some more love!