DALTON, Ga. — Ashley Kriner said her brother Steven Holmes, 21, and his fiancee, Amber Brewer, 19, loved their jobs with Dreamland Amusements, a company that puts on traveling fairs. 

The couple from Dalton were traveling to New York from Vermont when they were killed in a car crash Monday afternoon, she said. They got engaged in May to be married. Two other people in the car, Justin Hendrix, 38, of Bryceville, Fla., and Jennifer Valdez. 34. of Westerville, Ohio, also died.

Kriner said Brewer talked to Brewer’s mother shortly before the wreck.

“She said they only had two hours of sleep after working 24 hours,” Kriner said. “She was driving first and told her mom everyone was tired and asleep in the car. Her mom told her to pull over, wake Steven up and tell him to drive.” 

Kriner said her brother worked for Dreamland for almost three years and was in charge of the rides. Brewer joined last year as a ticket seller.

“It comes as a shock this happened to him,” Kriner said. “He’s one I’ve seen flip a truck four times, have a swollen leg and bruises and still get up and walk away from it.”

Melissa Parton, Holmes’ mother, said that accident was the reason her son didn’t wear a seat belt.

“He was wearing one that time and almost died,” she said.

According to news reports, none of the four people in their car were wearing seat belts.

Parton said her son was a good person.

“He had a good heart and would help anybody. Amber was his fiancee and best friend,” she said. 

 Kristian Kriner, the father of Brewer’s 3-year-old daughter, said she was a people’s person.

“Amber was very outgoing and loved being around everybody,” he said.

Kristian Kriner said Brewer loved the carnival and fair.

“It was kind of an escape to her,” he said.

He said Holmes and Brewer wanted to travel with the fair to make money and give their children a good life. Holmes leaves behind a 1-year-old son. In addition to her daughter, Brewer had a 1-year-old son.

Parton said she plans to create a Facebook page of the couple so people can share pictures and stories.

“The kids are so young and don’t understand what’s going on,” she said. “With the page they can read and get to know their parents through others’ memories.”

Parton said she’s waiting on her son’s body to be released and sent to Georgia for funeral plans.

“It’s going to be really hard to figure out how to live without them, it’s already left a big hole in our hearts,” she said.  

Tuesday night, Bob and Kathy DeStefano, who operate Dreamland, released a statement via Facebook on behalf of the company. The statement reads, in part:

“It is truly sad for all of us involved in the business that we lost four persons to a tragic car accident on Monday. … There are no words to truly comfort us, just our own strengths to support each other. Lots of emotions and tears for all of us. Good souls that impacted our daily life have left us memories and a big void. Remember to be good to yourself every day …

“Rest In Peace

“Steven Holmes aka Country

“Amber Brewer

“Justin Hendrix aka Redneck

“Jennifer ‘Nicki’ Valdez.”

According to a Vermont State Police report, troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Vermont Route 22A near North Cream Hill Road in Bridport. They found that a 2001 Volkswagen Beetle had collided head-on with a 2000 Ford F-350 truck.

According to the report, Holmes was the driver of the Volkswagen. The people in the truck were Lisa Nunez, 51, of Leesburg, Fla., and Thomas Sykes, 27, who were taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The report states that preliminary investigation determined the Volkswagen was traveling north on Vermont Route 22A “when it crossed over the center line, for an unknown reason, and struck (the) Ford truck head-on in the southbound lane. Both vehicles sustained heavy front end damage.”