“She gravitated to those who needed a light”; Olivia Flores’ parents remember their daughter in first interviews since May 18 crash

Olivia Flores: A light in the community

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(ABC 6 News) – For the first time since the tragic crash in May that took their daughter’s life, the parents of 18-year-old Olivia Flores sat down with ABC 6 to talk about the journey of the last few months.

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Carlos and Stephanie Flores remember their daughter in a lot of ways.

Through their son, Olivia’s younger brother Christian, they remember her strength and conviction.

“She held him accountable like no one else,” said Olivia’s father, Carlos. “You know, as parents we can be like do this, do that but like with your siblings… they will call you out and say ‘You’re acting a certain way, knock it off.'”

Through her friends, like Katarina Bartz who was also involved in the crash that took Olivia’s life, they remember her capacity for love.

“She was a ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fan, so if you’re a ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, when they say ‘She’s my person,’ Kat was Olivia’s person,” said Olivia’s mother, Stephanie.

And through the community that has supported the Flores family for the last three months, they remember her unwavering kindness and generosity.

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The hole left in Olivia’s absence is immense.

At one point, the two shared about the relationship between Olivia and her brother.

“At baseball games, at football games, she cheered and she was there in the stands for baseball and she’d scream and she was like, she was his biggest cheerleader,” said Carlos. “They were next door neighbors their whole lives.”

Now, the loss of what could have been weighs heavily on Christian.

“His thing is, ‘I’ll never be an uncle. Like, I’m never gonna be able to do that,'” Carlos said. “And so that’s hard for him.”

“‘I went from we to me,'” said Stephanie about her son.

Yet, through the love and support of those around them, they find the strength to carry on.

“It just goes to show that what Olivia believed and what we taught them is actually true,” said Carlos.

As the first court appearance of the State Trooper charged with Olivia’s death nears, the Flores’ want to make sure Olivia is remembered by everyone as the trial progresses.