Balloons will fill the sky near 33rd and L street Tuesday night. It's to mark the one-year anniversary since the crash that killed Sarah Root.
The man accused of smashing into her remains on the run.
On Monday, Sarah’s mother, Michelle Wilson-Root reflected on the final day she saw her daughter on her graduation day, proud of this new chapter in Sarah’s life.
“Watching that big beautiful smile on that stage and accomplishing all she had done,” said Wilson-Root.
But it’s a chapter that ended abruptly. Police say 21-year-old Sarah Root killed by a suspected drunk driver, 19-year-old Eswin Mejia speeding down 33rd and L streets when he hit her car the night of her college graduation on January 31st 2016.
“We don't even want to think about this year getting here but it has so we are just going to honor her,” said Wilson-Root.
While almost a year has passed, many things have not changed. Sarah’s room remains mostly untouched.
“It's good because you feel her and you can smell her still,” said Wilson-Root.
Smelling Sarah’s pillow was something Michelle did all the time when Sarah would be away that now has a different feeling to it.
“I would just go in there and hug her pillow, but knowing she was coming back. And now it's just different, you go in there and knowing she's never coming back to that room,” said Wilson-Root.
While Sarah is no longer here, Michelle still feels her presence here.
“The memory still comes and then I get passed it you know and I know it's her putting it there so I wont be so sad,” said Wilson-Root.
However many other things have changed the proposed Sarah's Law. Requiring immigration officials to detain undocumented immigrants suspected of killing someone. Michelle says president trump used part of that in this recent executive order.
“Take a piece of Sarah's law which was if you cause serious injury you get detained and deported, I want that still to be a law, because as you know executive orders can be overridden,” said Wilson-Root.
The balloon release happens at 7p.m. Tuesday night at 33rd and L street.
