Sisters Hailey Trumble, 19, and Shelby Trumble, 17, died as a result of their injuries on Aug. 1, according to New York authorities.
Two sisters were killed in a motor vehicle crash in upstate New York’s Cayuga County, and their father discovered the tragic news after using an app to locate their phones.
According to a news release from the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred on Thursday, Aug. 1, in the town of Ira. Based on an investigation, the victims — identified by authorities as sisters Hailey Trumble, 19, and Shelby Trumble, 17 — were riding in a Chevy Cobalt traveling eastbound on Ira Hill Road when their car “crested a hill and crossed into the opposite lane, striking a second vehicle.”
“Both Hailey and Shelby Trumble died as a result of the injuries they sustained at the time of this crash,” the sheriff’s office stated. Authorities said that the other driver was “transported to Syracuse University Hospital with serious injuries where she remains in stable condition.”
In an interview with Syracuse, the sisters’ father, Brian Trumble, said he had texted his daughters several times the day of the crash when they didn’t return home from an amusement park outing in Rochester. Using the Find My Friends app to track down their whereabouts via their phones, Brian Trumble got in his car and drove to their location, per the outlet. There he encountered deputies who had already sectioned off the roads.
“It’s a tremendous loss,” he told the outlet. “It’s never going to be the same again.”
Both from the town of Granby, Hailey and Shelby graduated high school in 2023 and 2024 respectively, FingerLakes1 reported. In a statement shared with the outlet, the Hannibal Central School District wrote: “This is an incredibly sad day for our students, faculty, and colleagues, and a tremendous loss for the entire community.”
A GoFundMe was created on behalf of the sisters’ family to pay for funeral expenses, which has raised over $29,000 as of the time of publication. “In this devastating incident, the Trumble family lost 2 girls at one time as daughters, sisters, granddaughters, and nieces,” read a message on the fundraiser. “From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your kindness, love, and support during this heart-wrenching time.”
The tragedy has left the Granby community in mourning, as friends and family come to terms with the sudden loss of two young lives. The outpouring of support and condolences highlights the deep impact Hailey and Shelby had on those around them.