6:58 a.m. ET, March 12, 2019
California brothers were on one last trip before one of them became a dad
A community in California is remembering two brothers who died in Sunday's crash.
Mel and Bennett Riffel, from Redding, north of Sacramento,
were embarking on one final adventure before Mel became a dad. His daughter is due to be born in May.
Parishioners of St. Joseph Church and School have been placing flowers at the base of a bell tower, CNN affiliate KRCR reported. The brothers attended the elementary school and their mother is the parish secretary, according to KRCR.
"People are offering prayer, offering [the parents] help, anything, anything," the church's pastor, Father Fred Gucor, told the news station. He said the community is being "very supportive."
Mel and Bennett were the only children of Ike and Susan Riffel. "We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from the community," the parents said through a spokesperson, according to
KRCR. "We ask for continued prayers."