OAK RIDGE, N.C. — Families in the triad will soon dress up for trick-or-treating, while it's a fun time for many, it's a tragic reminder for mother Ayonna Suttles who lost her daughter Aliyah just two years ago on the holiday.
Ayonna says her 14-year-old daughter Aliyah was beautiful, joyful, and talented. She says she loved to entertain and do theater.
Sadly, Thornhill and another teen were hit by a car while trick or treating off of Haw River Road in Oak Ridge two years ago on Halloween.
Aliyah died from her injuries. If you remember, a few years earlier, 11-year-old Noah Chambers was hit by a car in the same area, while trick or treating.
RELATED: Noah Chambers' mother calls for change after another child dies on Haw River Road in Oak Ridge
Today her mother says the pain is something that never goes away. She says what helps her is spreading an important message to drivers on the roads this Halloween.
"Put the phone down. Put it on do not disturb for the hour or two that those babies are trick or treating and you know you take your eyes off of the road for two seconds that's all it takes that is all it took," said Suttles.
Since her daughter's death, Suttles created 'Aliyah's Legacy of Love' a platform providing help to families in need.
We also spoke with the Greensboro Fire Department - which echoes safety this Halloween.
"As children are out trick or treating you certainly want to stay in well lit areas. If they are crossing the street crossing groups, utilize the sidewalk, have a glow stick around their neck, around their arm, have a flashlight and try to be with an adult," said Matt Groseclose, a Fire and Life Safety Educator with the Greensboro Fire Department.
When it comes to Halloween, safety starts before you leave your home. Greensboro Fire urges families to use battery candles. They say about a third of holiday fires are related to Halloween.