CINCINNATI — Friends and family members continue to gather near Mill Creek, days after four young men were killed when their car plunged into the water off Queen City Avenue.
For many, the loss still feels unreal.
“I still don’t believe it,” said Nell, a friend of 21-year-old Khiel Ivory. “I know he's dead, but I still don’t believe it.”
Authorities said the crash happened Saturday afternoon near the dead end of Queen City Avenue, north of the Western Hills Viaduct. Investigators said five people were inside a 2019 Infiniti when it struck a guardrail and dropped into the creek below.
A 27-year-old woman survived and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with injuries police described as non-life-threatening.
WATCH: Loved ones mourn four men killed in Mill Creek crash
But, by the time someone called 911 and first responders got to the scene, the men had been trapped in the submerged car for around an hour. Crews eventually pulled their bodies from the wreck.
Nell described Ivory as ambitious, caring and deeply loved.
“Khiel was a vibe. Very peaceful, no beef, no negative energy,” he said. “Full of life, vibrant. Khiel was a nurse. He helped people.”
Nell said he had exchanged text messages with Ivory hours before the crash.
"He had worked like 13 hours...He was just texting me trying to see where I was at, what I was doing," Nell said. "I actually texted him at 10:00 at night and asked him what he was doing — and he was dead, but I ain't know that. Then somebody texted me two hours later and asked me if I knew what happened, if I heard what happened."
Standing near the creek where the car went into the water, Nell said seeing the damage firsthand intensified his grief.
“I detail cars. I just detailed his car,” he said. “So when I see stuff like that, it just messed me up.”
Nell described Ivory as someone focused on helping others and building a future.
“He ran a group home. He was about his business,” Nell said. “When he woke up, he was about his business.”
Among the victims is 19-year-old Ja'Vae Thomas, whose great-uncle, Rufus Allen Jr., said the loss has devastated relatives.
“This was a horrible, treacherous accident,” Allen said. “I grieve for him and the other young men that passed away.”
Allen said he learned about the crash before realizing his nephew was among the victims.
“When my sister called and told me Ja'Vae was in the car, I just melted,” he said. “I was just delirious, really.”
Though he said he did not see Thomas often as he grew older, Allen remembered him as “an outstanding, up-to-date kid.”
As loved ones began making funeral arrangements, Allen urged young drivers to be cautious behind the wheel.
“These cars, they’re nothing to play with, and they’ll get away from you,” he said. “Slow down. You’re going to get there.”
Loved ones said social media tributes and memorial gatherings have shown how many people were touched by the victims’ lives. However, the attention has also been overwhelming for some close friends and relatives.
“I just want his real friends to remember who (Ivory) is,” Nell said. “Remember his heart. He wanted good for you. He wanted good for the next person. He just wanted good in life.”
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact the Cincinnati Police Department Traffic Unit at 513-352-2514.
