Mother says 15-year-old daughter stole her car keys while she was sleeping and died in an accident

PHOENIX (KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) – An Arizona mother is at a loss after her 15-year-old daughter stole her car keys while she was sleeping without a driver's license and then died when she crashed into a tree.

Stacy Stembridge's 15-year-old daughter Ana Marie died in a car crash around 4:15 a.m. Saturday. Police said the teenager, who had no license, drove off the road and hit a tree in Phoenix, AZ Family reports.

“She was funny. She could make people laugh… She was just sweet. She had this sweet personality and everyone liked being around her,” Stembridge said.

The mother said Ana Marie took her keys and drove away in her car while she was sleeping – something she never thought possible.

“I started crying and said, 'Oh my God, I can't believe it.' I'm stunned and shocked that it's her,” Stembridge said.

In a post on GoFundMe, she says the teenager was traveling at 90 miles per hour when she crashed. Her boyfriend, who was in the car with her, was hospitalized in critical condition with injuries including two broken legs and a broken collarbone.

Stembridge says Ana Marie had only started learning to drive with a friend a few days ago, and the worries had given her the confidence to take her car with her.

“I think that's how it started: He (a friend) taught her how to drive and suddenly she took my car,” she said.

The mother now urges other parents with children without a driver's license to hide or lock away their car keys. She wishes she had done that herself.

“I wake up and cry. It's not a dream. It's real. My baby is gone,” she said. “I love you, Ana Marie. I'll miss you.”

According to police, the accident is still under investigation.

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