CLEVELAND — The family of 37-year-old Sharday Elder spent Saturday honoring the mother and the person she was. She died last weekend when a vehicle involved in a chase slammed into her driver's side door.
“She was amazing, she was a loving mother, she loved her kids hard her and she was tight with her brother and sister. My family is tight,” said Elder's cousin, Tawana Matthews.
The crash happened on Aug. 24. A car being chased by Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputies slammed into Elder's vehicle, which was stopped at a red light at Superior and Addison avenues.
RELATED: Innocent bystander and mother of 2 killed during chase by Cuyahoga County deputies
“Stop chasing people, because she could be alive right now. I’m feeling, I feel kind of hurt because I haven’t been sleeping ever since I heard,” said Elder's uncle, Vernol Melton.
The county said that deputies first tried to stop a 24-year-old suspected drunk driver at St. Clair Avenue and E. 13th Street, but the car didn’t stop and took off. A few minutes later, the crash would send six people to the hospital.
"I threw up and I got sick when I got the call it because I had just seen her,” said Matthews.
And less than a week after her death. Elder’s family and friends gathered near where Elder was hit to release balloons, filling the sky with Elder’s favorite colors.
“I'm saddened right now, but it's beautiful to see everybody that came together and to support our family as we are going through our loss right now,” said Matthews.
And as the balloons began their route to the sky, the family yelled out words that hold so much meaning.
“Justice for Sharday, we want justice. I want them to do something about my cousin. (She) lost her life because of this, something must be done,” said Matthews.
The family will say their final goodbyes at her funeral on Saturday.
