Alyssa Power, 19-year-old who died in Friday crash, remembered as great mother

Just one month after giving birth to a healthy baby girl, a 19-year-old mother is dead, and one of her closest friends says it's hard to believe she's gone.

Alyssa Power died in a collision Friday that's under investigation by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

Police said an officer tried to stop a 17-year-old female driver Friday night, but she ignored the attempt — then collided with an SUV​ in west end St. John's.

Power, who was a passenger in the 17-year-old's vehicle, was pronounced dead on the scene.

"I think everybody's really still just in shock with everything happening, a 19-year-old losing her life and leaving her month-old baby behind," Chantelle Owens said in an interview Sunday.

Owens had been friends with Power for more than 10 years, and said she was always someone who would take the time to reach out when times were tough.

"She showed me what a real friendship was and she showed me what life is all about," said Owens.

Baby girl left behind

Around this time last month, she was sitting in the hospital with Power, congratulating her on becoming a mother and meeting her little girl.

Owens said motherhood was a natural fit for her friend.

"Once Alyssa had her, Alyssa turned her life around, and matured more, and let her mother instincts kick in," she said.

"She done everything in her power for that little girl."

But now, the girl is without a mother, and Owens and some of her friends are attempting to raise money to help cover the costs of Power's funeral and provide further support for her daughter.

"We just basically started a fundraiser for her and her family to make sure that none of them, even the baby, don't do without anything," said Owens. "To make sure they'll never go without."

The cause of the crash is still being investigated by the RNC, and the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. 

At this point, no charges have been laid in relation to this case.