CARLSBAD (KGTV)- Hundreds of people gathered by the beach in Carlsbad to honor Vanessa Wheyland, a 45-year-old wife and mother of three killed in a hit-and-run crash on Carlsbad Boulevard.
Candles, flowers, and the people who loved her filled the space at a location friends and family say she cherished.
Wheyland's husband said he was moved by the turnout.
"I am overwhelmed by the amount of people here, but it makes sense because she cared for her community so much," he said.
Her daughter reflected on the kind of person her mother was.
"My mom wasn't human, she was something else, and I think all of you know that, there will never be anyone else like her," she said.
Her son echoed that sentiment.
"We're so lucky to know her, and I just, I can't even think that her life was cut short because she lived such a full life, and she lived, she lived many lives," he said.
Police say the driver who struck Wheyland fled the scene. Using evidence left behind, tips from community members, and license plate readers, investigators tracked down and arrested 26-year-old Fernando Saldana. He faces charges including murder, DUI causing injury or death, and gross vehicular manslaughter. Police say he also has a prior DUI conviction.
Friend Patty Segovia Krause called for changes to the intersection where Wheyland was killed.
"The city of Carlsbad, unfortunately, voted not to put a roundabout at that crosswalk, and I think things would be different today had they moved forward to do that because it slows traffic down," Segovia Krause said.
Another friend spoke to the impact Wheyland had on those around her.
"Vanessa has touched this community far and wide for more than any other person I've ever met," she said.
For Wheyland's family, the arrest does not undo their loss. They are calling for full accountability for the person responsible for her death.
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