What began as a weekend of family celebration turned into unspeakable tragedy for the Moodley family of Johannesburg. Three sisters—Storm, 27, Connor, 24, and Cassidy, 22—were driving home from their cousin’s graduation party earlier this month when their car crashed. Two of the young women were killed. The eldest, Storm, survived but was seriously injured and managed to call their mother from the wreckage with the help of a passerby.

The sisters’ uncle, Lance Poonawassy, said the tragedy has devastated his family, especially his sister Janene, a single mother of three. “She is really battling with this one,” he said. “Two of her three girls are now gone.”

Janene, 49, had raised her daughters in Johannesburg, where the four lived together in a tight-knit home. Each of the sisters was pursuing her own ambitions, bound by a shared determination and an unshakable closeness.

“These were bubbly little personalities, loved by everybody,” Lance, 54. “They were well on their way to reaching their dreams.”

The sisters had been adamant about traveling to Cape Town to celebrate the college graduation of their cousin, 27-year-old Keeran Poonawassy. It was the first major family gathering since the death of their grandfather three years ago. “What an awesome time,” Lance recalled of the Sept. 12 celebration. “Lots of fun, tears of joy.”

But just two days later, that joy gave way to heartbreak. On Sunday morning, Sept. 14, the Moodley sisters began their long drive back to Johannesburg so they could return to work. Cassidy, a full-time teacher, was just six months away from completing her degree in education. Connor had recently been promoted in her job as a personal assistant, and Storm, the eldest, had just wrapped up a finance contract.

Their plans—and their futures—were cut short on the journey home.

Caitlin Jade Poonawassy, Storm Moodley, Keeran Poonawassy, Connor Moodley and Cassidy Moodley.
Janene Moodley

Janene, who had not been able to attend the celebration in Cape Town, spoke to her three daughters on the phone during their drive back, chatting about what they wanted to eat when they got home. Barely 30 minutes later, tragedy struck.

According to their uncle, Lance Poonawassy, the car blew a tire while Connor was behind the wheel. “Unfortunately, the car veered off the road and it then rolled about 300 meters,” he recalled of the crash, which happened near Britstown in the Klein Karoo, a scenic valley ringed by mountains. “All three of them were actually flung out of the car.”

The South African Police Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

When Lance later visited the scene, he described it as deeply unsettling. The stretch of road was straight, with no bends, yet rubber marks remained, showing where the tire had burst and Connor had tried desperately to brake.

It was about 40 minutes before a passerby came across the wreckage, Lance said. By then, the younger sisters were unconscious, but Storm, the eldest, was able to speak.

“She could give her mom’s cell phone number, and they actually made the call from her phone to her mom about 45 minutes after the crash had happened,” Lance explained.

He was the first person Janene spoke to after that life-shattering call. “She was totally distraught,” Lance remembered. “She was in absolute shock.”

With no family close by, Janene, Lance, and other loved ones had to travel for hours to reach the young women. By the time they arrived, Connor and Cassidy had died en route to the hospital, according to Lance.

Storm survived, but she sustained bruising and cuts and was treated for bleeding on the brain.

Even then, Janene struggled to accept what had happened. “Initially my sister wouldn’t believe her two youngest had died until she saw them for herself,” Lance said. “They were in gurneys lying on the floor, and she was holding both of them in total disbelief, just distraught. She just cried.”

Janene (center right) with her three daughters.
Janene Moodley

Storm was told of her sisters’ deaths later that evening. She remained in the hospital for several days before being discharged, and is now recovering at home while she and her mother face the overwhelming weight of their loss.

“They would do everything, literally everything together with their mom,” said Lance, who noted that the three sisters had already been planning a celebration for Janene’s 50th birthday next summer. “And it’s absolutely difficult for her now.”

Janene has shared glimpses of her grief publicly. On the day of the crash, she posted a photograph of herself with Connor, writing: “My poppet, losing you and Cass is, by far, [the] greatest weight I’ve ever had to carry. In pieces [right now].”

Days later, on Friday, Sept. 19, she expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support the family has received in the wake of the tragedy, acknowledging the community that has rallied around them since that life-altering weekend.

Connor, Storm, Cassidy and Janene Moodley.
Janene Moodley

In the days leading up to the funeral, Janene Moodley shared her anguish in a heartfelt message on social media. “Tomorrow, my girls will conclude their journey on this earth,” she wrote ahead of the service on Saturday, Sept. 20. “From the depths of our shattered hearts, my family and I would like to express our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming love and support we’ve received since our nightmare began on Sunday.”

Tributes also poured in from the community, including from the sisters’ alma mater, Roosevelt High School in Roosevelt Park. In a joint post from the principal, staff, and students, the school described Cassidy and Connor as “the very definition of sunshine in human form.”

“Their absence has left a void that words can scarcely describe,” the tribute read. “The Moodley sisters were more than siblings; they were one. Together with their mom, lovingly known as ‘Neen,’ and their older sister, Storm, they formed an unbreakable bond. Our hearts ache for Janene and Storm, who are carried in our thoughts and prayers during this devastating time.”