On the day their wedding was supposed to take place, family and friends joined Tristen Cherry in the hospital to remember his bride-to-be.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two college sweethearts weeks away from their wedding were hit by an alleged drunk driver, killing a 23-year-old woman and putting her fiancé in a coma, according to reports.
The crash happened in Oklahoma City on May 2, when soon-to-be married Tristen Cherry and Katelyn Callahan were hit head on by a driver going the wrong way on the interstate, according to PEOPLE. They were heading back from the Calf Fry Festival in Stillwater, along with two 17-year-old passengers the night of the crash, according to the Daily Mail.
Callahan was studying to be a nurse at Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City, according to her obituary.
“Katelyn brought light, kindness, and determination to all who knew her,” her obituary said. “Her life, though tragically brief, was full of promise, love, and unwavering hope for the future.”
The young couple had recently moved in together and adopted two dogs before the crash, according to the Daily Mail.
Callahan died in the crash, while Cherry, 24, was left in a weekslong coma. The two got engaged in February 2024 and were set to marry May 31, 2025, according to KJRH.
The local station reported his injuries included at least 64 facial fractures, lacerated kidney, compound fracture of his femur and seven lost teeth.
Cherry was told about Callahan’s death a few days after waking up nearly three weeks after the crash.
“It’s taken me some time. Still do, to understand,” he told KJRH. “But it’s not the easiest thing in the world.”
On the day their wedding was supposed to take place, family and friends joined Cherry in the hospital to remember his bride-to-be.
“I saw Katelyn in her wedding dress in pictures,” he told KJRH. “She was gorgeous. All my groomsmen came up. Some of her bridesmaids came up. It was her family, my family. It was a great time.”
The community rallied together to raise funds for Callahan and Cherry’s families, hosting “giveback nights,” according to KOCO. A GoFundMe was also created to help with funeral expenses and medical bills.
He’s home recovering nearly two months after the crash, but the two 17-year-olds are still recovering in the hospital, according to the KJRH. The suspected drunk driver, Sergio Ibarra, was arrested and faces charges of manslaughter in the first degree and three counts of driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
“I talk to Katelyn every day,” Cherry said. “The most I can ask for at this point is healing. That’s from head to toe. Healing takes time, and time takes healing. So I’m just letting time go by.”