Teen dies in crash while doing DoorDash deliveries so she could buy Christmas presents

A 15-year-old girl died in a car crash in Washington state while secretly delivering food for Doordash so she could afford Christmas presents for her family and friends.

During the early hours of December 2, Grace Horn, from Oak Harbor, lost control of her car, veered off the road, and struck a pole due to poor visibility, according to Washington State Patrol.

The teenager had reportedly snuck out of a friend’s home without her parents’ knowledge to earn some extra cash ahead of the holidays, her family said.

“There’s no end, she’d literally do anything for anyone. She’s always wanted to give things to people,” her father, Jacob Horn, told Kiro7.

Grace was reportedly using her mother’s account when she took on the DoorDash deliveries. Typically, users are asked to verify their identity by taking a selfie that matches with an on-file driver’s license.

As the teen drove along Highway 20, she was faced with unusually low visibility and accidentally crossed into the opposite lanes, plowing into a roadside pole, said Fox12 Oregon. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tributes have been pouring in for the teen, with a memorial scheduled for Saturday in Oak Harbor, according to a Facebook event page.

The GoFundMe states: “This is something no parent should ever have to go through.

“Instead of planning for Grace’s Christmas presents being wrapped and opened, it quickly shifted to the intrusive thoughts, the, ‘what ifs,’ the planning of the funeral of your one and only princess.”

The fundraiser — which aims to cover her parents’ funeral costs — has raised more than $20,000.

Rob Dickinson, a donor, wrote on the page that he had been traveling on Highway 20 just an hour after the accident.

“I was on my way to work at the post office that morning, shortly after 4 a.m.

“Highway 20 was blocked, so I was diverted to Madrona, following the utility truck that was heading to the scene. His flashing lights cast an eerie glow on the foggy trees, and I could feel the weight of the situation, even though I had no idea what was going on.”

The young teen was “always wanting to find a way to ‘fix’ whatever problem there was,” the GoFundMe says.

“She was witty, and her laugh was unlike any you have ever heard. Filled with such innocence, she was taken too young, and her dreams have become memories for those who were blessed to know them,” it added.

DoorDash spokesperson Julian Crowley told The Independent: “This is an unthinkable and horrible tragedy, and our hearts go out to Grace’s parents and all who loved her.”

The Independent contacted the Washington State Patrol for more information.