Phoenix mother warns parents after teenage daughter dies in car crash

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — “I wake up today. It wasn't a dream. I'm crying. It's true. My baby is gone,” said Stacy Stembridge, who lost her 15-year-old daughter Ana Marie in a tragic car accident over the weekend and is devastated.

“She was funny. She could make people laugh. She just had this way of laughing. She was just sweet. She had this sweet personality and everyone liked being around her,” Stembridge said.

According to police, the 15-year-old, who was driving without a license, drove off the road and crashed into a tree near 59th Avenue and Thomas Road in western Phoenix.

Stembridge said her daughter took her keys and drove away in the car while she was sleeping – something she never expected.

“I started crying and said, 'Oh my God, I can't believe it.' I'm stunned and shocked that it's her,” Stembredge said.

Stembridge said her daughter had only started driving a few days ago at a friend's house.

Now she fears it gave her the confidence to take her car. “I think that's where it started: He (a friend) taught her to drive and then suddenly she took my car.”

She urges parents of children without a driver's license to hide or lock away their car keys. “I love you, Ana Marie. I will miss you.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to honor Ann Marie's memory.

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