Funeral set for Southampton High senior killed in El Salvador crash

More than two weeks after a car crash in El Salvador killed an 18-year-old Southampton High School senior during the holiday break, her friends and family will be able to say their goodbyes when her body returns for Thursday funeral services.

After what they described as a long and difficult period of waiting due to government services in El Salvador being closed for the holidays, family members of Ana Castro, who died Dec. 23 in a car crash in San Miguel, said her body will be flown back from El Salvador to New York Wednesday night.

“The hardest part has been the waiting,” said her brother Freddy Castro, 29, of Southampton, adding the family had been anxious to bring his sister home. Despite the delays, Castro said the U.S. Embassy had been “very helpful” in expediting the return of Ana’s body.

Ana Castro was killed instantly when a drunken driver struck the car she was traveling in with her cousins and an aunt, her family has said.

Costs for bringing Ana back for her burial — estimated to be $18,000 — have been a major concern for her family, Castro said. Already, the family has spent $6,000 trying to bring her home. However, other costs were still coming in, such as the $4,300 the family will have to pay to have her body flown home, he said.

Despite those expenses, Castro said it was likely they would be covered via the GoFundMe page the family set up to raise money for Ana’s funeral. The page had raised $25,520 by 5 p.m. Saturday.

Castro said his family had been deeply moved by the support they had received.

“The community really came together to help,” Castro said. “As hard as this has been, at least my parents will not be in debt, and I’m very grateful for that.”

Castro said his sister’s death was “still fresh” for his family, who he said were still in shock.

“It’s obviously a painful situation. That’s my baby sister,” Castro said. “But we’re preparing to face reality, and realize when she gets home that this is it. This is our final chance to say goodbye to Ana.”

Services for Ana will be held 11 a.m. Thursday at Hampton Bays United Methodist Church in Hampton Bays, followed by burial at Good Grounds Cemetery. The Whitting Funeral Home in Glen Head will handle funeral services, Castro said.

— With Joie Tyrrell