SAN MARCOS, Texas — Saturday was an emotional day for the San Marcos community.
Families and pastors gathered to honor the life of a student who died after a traffic accident at Goodnight Middle School. The 11-year-old died after a driver accidentally hit them in the school parking lot during Friday morning drop-off.
One Goodnight seventh-grader, Elena Sillero, was on her way to school when that tragedy struck.
"I saw all the police cars and everything. And then I saw her body on the floor, with a tent over it, and the mom in the back," Sillero said.
Sillero's mom works at Goodnight's cafeteria and sees the students every day.
"It's really heartbreaking, knowing that tragedy happened at school. It hurts, and it's really hard," Tiffany Rivera said.
It's a heartbreak the San Marcos community is grieving together.
“Dr. Cardona, our superintendent, told us that he didn't have words for this, and none of us have words for this. But know that our school district and our community is strong,” said Mari Salmi, a San Marcos ISD board member.
Some of the clergy in San Marcos put Saturday's vigil together to pray over families and remind them that they're not alone.
"When we pray in community, it gives that comfort together to remind us that this is not something that we're going through as individuals. This is something that we are going through together," Pastor Jessica Kane from Living Word Lutheran said.
They also brought service dogs to support anyone needing a little extra love.
Love is something that River said she never forgets to give to her daughter.
"I tell my kids every morning I love them. 'Have a good day at school.' Because you have to. You just never know what could happen," she said.