Wake County family mourns after young mom killed in crash

WENDELL, N.C. (WTVD) -- A young Wake County woman died after the car she was driving crashed with another vehicle Saturday evening in Wake County.

According to family, 27-year-old Vaiden Kimball was at a friend's house that night when she left to go to the store for some ice cream. The mother of a 23-month-old son would never return.

"We're just going over scenarios in our head of what it could have been and what happened," said Kimball's aunt, Jennifer Cossette. "She left the baby and her phone, her wallet; everything at the house."

Cossette said her niece was not wearing her seat belt at the time.

"And this one time she went to get some ice cream and she didn't put it on," Cossette said. "I know that she wasn't texting and driving. She wasn't on her phone."

Cossette described her niece as fun to be around and a good listener.

"Just a ball of energy. She lit up the room whenever she was around," she said.

Kimball loves children and was a teacher at Primrose School of Hillburn in Raleigh.

The school sent ABC11 a statement late Monday that read: "We are saddened by the tragic loss of one of our staff members from a car accident that occurred over the weekend. Ms. Vaiden Kimball will be deeply missed and we send our sincere condolences to her family and friends."

The family has established an education fund through State Employee Credit Union to help with expenses and to support Kimball's son, Nathaniel Brady Barnes.

Kimball's funeral will be held Thursday at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Knightdale.