POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Loved ones came together in Pompano Beach to pay their respects to a woman who, authorities said, was killed when she was struck by a car while rollerblading.
7News cameras captured mourners gathered along the 600 block of Northeast 10th Street, Friday night, to remember Aline Palla Acosta.
“Everybody right now, you can bow your head and take a moment of silence,” a man said to fellow mourners.
A memorial made up of flowers, candles, notes and a photo of the victim continued to grow near the spot where, officials said, the 27-year-old was taken, Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m just still like really in shock, more than anything,” said mourner Brook Szabo.
That’s because Acosta was taken in a most sudden, stunning and shocking way.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, she was rollerblading along a multipurpose path when an out-of-control silver Nissan slammed into a tree near her.
Detectives said the car was going so fast that it split in half, sending part of the car into a fence. The other half landed in the middle of the road.
Investigators said pieces of the car pinned Acosta to a pole.
Officials said the impact left the driver and passenger inside the vehicle critically injured.
Just over 48 hours later, loved ones and friends came to the very spot where Acosta lost her life.
Szabo said Acosta was her best friend.
“She was the best person in the entire world. She was the sweetest. If you needed anything, she was there for you,” she said.
Acosta’s husband and other family members were part of the crowd of mourners, but they declined to comment on their tragic loss.
But some who said they didn’t know Acosta very well were still moved by her passing and wanted to be here to pay their respects.
“Very loved and smart, and had a lot ahead of her,” said attendee Anthony Burrell.
Loved ones have set up a GoFundMe page to help Acosta’s family in Brazil bring her body there for burial.
“If you guys can donate to her GoFundMe, that’d be great,” said an attendee at the memorial.
“I just hope that we can get body back to her family, because it’s really sad that her parents can’t be here for this,” said Szabo.
According to her friends, Acosta was on a long-distance call with her mother while rollerblading, just as she was fatally struck.
“Tell everybody you love them, because it could be any day that you go,” said Szabo.
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