Daff family speaks out following fatal crash

SPRINGFIELD TWP., Ohio (WKBN) -- Last month, a deadly crash ripped a family and a community apart. Since then, the Daff Family has been mourning the deaths of 15-year-old Jason and his mother, Angela Brown. Friday, the family is speaking for the first time, remembering their lost loved ones and rallying around 12-year-old Jayden, who is still on the mend. Jason Daff had been rehearsing for a musical that he never got to perform in. His family provided video of a performance that the world never got to see. "The high school and the drama class and the choir and the Boy Scouts was his life. He loved it," his father, Randy Daff, said. Jason and his mother, Angela Brown, were tragically killed in a car accident along State Route 170 in Springfield Township back on March 3. Since then, the family has been wrestling with the grief "I want to forgive because I don't want that hate in my heart. And sometimes I can't. I think about it all the time," Randy Daff said. Twelve-year-old Jayden remains in the hospital more than a month after the accident that left him with a broken foot, broken leg, two broken arms and forced doctors to remove a kidney and his spleen. "Jayden's improvements help us sometimes on the harder days. Just seeing how much he's improved since day one," Peyton Daff said. His older sister, Peyton, speaks affectionately about her younger siblings, saying that the holidays were loud and loving, and won't ever quite be the same. "Jason was like my best friend. He was like my twin, literally. We did everything together. He was so kind and he was never mean to anybody. He just wanted to make everyone laugh and put a smile on your face," Peyton Daff said. At times, talking through the tears, she also remembers her mother - known for her unmistakable kindness, but what truly set her apart was Angela's incredible patience. "Just so loving and kind. She would literally do anything for us. She was my best friend. I could talk to her about anything and she would never judge me," Peyton said. The pair spends most nights with Jayden in the hospital, spending and savoring as much time as they can with each other. "He's an absolute miracle that he survived. I went and saw the car in person and - thank God, he's still here. That car was twisted and torn and flipped over. It didn't even look like a car," Randy Daff said. In the 45 days since the crash, they've been consoled by close friends and the community. As a family, they're navigating whatever comes next together, just as they always have. "It's going to be rough. There's going to be a lot of crying, a lot of tears, but we'll celebrate them," Randy said. Randy and Peyton were both wearing Jayden Strong t-shirts, and the marquee at the New Middletown City building is flashing Jayden Strong as well. There was even a billboard with the Jayden Strong hashtag. Last month, schools across the area wore blue and then red, Jayden and Jason's favorite colors. It's an outpouring of support that the family says they are eternally grateful for.