LAWNDALE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- Dequavious Hopper was supposed to turn 18 on Wednesday, September 25. He and his cousin Jaelyn Abraham, along with some of his family, had planned to throw a big birthday bash and go out of the country. But those plans won't happen. They were killed in a car crash last Wednesday just moments after school let out. Cheers echoed through the air as neighbors released green, gold, and blue balloons in remembrance of Hopper and Abraham.  "That was just like God opened up and he showed us that they were all right. You know, it was like a heavenly thing," said Dorothy Elmore, the boys' grand aunt. They affectionately called her 'Grand Dot'.  Heartbroken father grieves the loss of son in afterschool crash in North Carolina The impact of the September 18 crash that claimed the lives of two Burns High School students can be seen on the school's front lawn.  Hopper and Abraham were in the car with their other family member, Xzavier Sanders, when they were hit by an F-450 as they tried to make a left turn out of the high school.  Sanders was the only survivor and was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries.  Brittney London, the boys' sister, says they were inseparable. "If you see one, you see the others," London said. Even maintaining their "assigned" seats during car rides.  "There was one time that I did not see Zay in a car, but Jaelyn was still in the back and I said, "Why are you in a back if Zay is not up there? He was like, "Oh because that's my seat. That's my seat back there," London said.  Despite the doctor's orders to rest, Sanders was at Wednesday's balloon release as a show of strength for his cousins and best friends. "What was it like seeing Zay here? It was a breath of fresh air, it just lets you know that prayer works no matter what we see or how we're mourning now or how hurt we are, we still have that moment where we got to be like, "Oh, God, Okay, You did that. You know, you came up and you shot and you did that.' That was a good thing, that was a good thing," London said.  The family says their unexpected passing leaves a large hole in the family.  "We grew up on the same row, literally right down there. Every morning during the summer, we would be at Granddot's house or my grandma's house. So it's going to be hard. But we've, God's got us, we're going to get through it," said their cousin Makaiyah Ross.  Three family members say they've had close calls on the same street. They're joining the community's call for state transportation leaders to put a light at an intersection near the site of the crash right in front of the school. "When you get to a school area you think is going to be safe. As a parent, I send my kids to school knowing they're going to be safe. It's a store right here, some of these kids are in 12th grade they can leave for lunch, go to the store, go up the street, go to Dollar General. They need to know that these kids are safe. Is it a light that needs to be operated 24/7? No, but in those critical times, it needs to be operated," London said.  The petition already has over 1900 signatures. The North Carolina Department of Transportation sent QCN the following statement: We were saddened to learn of the passing of two Burns High School students, and we send our deepest sympathies to their families and friends. When a fatal crash occurs, our regional traffic engineer orders a thorough investigation of the roadway, using historical crash data and location-specific roadway conditions to determine if any intersection and/or safety improvements are warranted. This process typically takes several months to complete. In addition, the Department has not received any formal requests to evaluate this intersection for a traffic signal or other modifications. A signal will be installed at E. Stage Coach Trail and Shady Grove Road, currently in the preconstruction phase.