Beloved Pittsburgh-area college student killed in crash in Washington, D.C.
A beloved University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg senior was killed in a crash in Washington, D.C., over the weekend.
Alyssa Caldarelli, 22, and her boyfriend were driving back from Washington, D.C., on Sunday when they were killed in a crash on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington.
"I lived with an angel, and now I don't have my angel," the girl's father, Al Caldarelli, said on Wednesday.
The Caldarelli family said Alyssa and her boyfriend, Ryan, went to a concert in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night. When Ryan was driving home on Sunday, their vehicle went off the parkway and struck an overpass, killing both of them. A spokesperson for the United States Park Police said it is investigating the crash.
Local troopers delivered the heartbreaking news to the family.
"The best memories of my life have been with her," Alyssa Caldarelli's twin sister, Ashley Caldarelli, said. "We just grew up, we called each other best buddies."
Ashley Caldarelli is still stunned that her best friend is gone.
"Even when she wasn't happy herself, whenever other people were happy, she lit up," she said. "Other people's happiness made her shine."
The 22-year-old was studying business management and psychology at Pitt Greensburg. She was set to graduate in December. In a post on Facebook, a statement from university leadership said she "was a senior, with many friends, classmates, faculty, and staff who knew her and would miss her."
The student also worked at The Bean Bar, a coffee shop in Irwin. Those who knew her described her as kind and loving. She loved singing, being artistic and watching the Pittsburgh Pirates with her dad.
"I miss her singing and her hugs, her laugh," her father said. "It was special when we were together. "
"I wish I would have took more time because you never think today is the last day," he added.