Makayla Dooley died early Sunday morning when the 2002 Ford truck she was riding in crashed into a utility pole on Morganton Road near Bonanza Drive and burst into flames.
Residents in a nearby neighborhood told ABC11 Monday that they jumped a fence and ran to help after hearing the crash around 3:15 a.m. They said they struggled to open the doors to the pickup truck and that the girl was still alive before the vehicle suddenly caught fire.
Sheron and Terry Johnson, siblings who live near the scene, said they want the girl's parents to know many people stuck by her side.
She wasn't alone," Sheron Johnson said. "There was my brother, my neighbors ... my neighbor Greg Johnson, Ms. Carol, and her son Michael. Michael was like in the forefront trying to pull the door open, saying, 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry.' She wasn't alone."
The group said they started praying when they realized they couldn't do anything else.
"There was a point and time when all we could do was pray. 'God have mercy. God have mercy. God have mercy,'" said Terry Johnson. "I mean because the flames and the heat you couldn't even get close to the vehicle anymore."
Flowers have been placed at the crash site in honor of the 15 year old who was about to start her freshman year at Westover High School.
Dooley's parents did not want to comment Monday.
So far, police have released few details about the accident, including what led up to the crash.
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