Family remembers Kentucky Marine killed in I-65 crash for her determination

SELLERSBURG, Ind. (WDRB) -- An 18-year-old Kentucky Marine killed in a crash on I-65 is being remembered for her hard work, determination and selflessness.

“She excelled in everything she did from the start,” said Crystal Jackson, who called her daughter "just so perfect.”

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Olivia Kustes was killed Wednesday afternoon on I-65 in Clark County when a wheel flew off a pickup truck, crossed the concrete median and hit her truck.

Family members gathered Monday for visitation at Garr Funeral Home in Sellersburg. They say Kustes was proud to be a United States Marine, and they were also proud of her accomplishments.

“I broke down and started crying and telling her how proud I was,” Kustes’ sister, Emily, remembered from when Kustes finished boot camp. “She had already made it to lance corporal, and you don't make it to lance corporal that fast if you don't work hard."

Kustes was tempted to quit when she was faced with the challenges of Marine Corps boot camp, but she persevered. She had a bright future as a Marine and was home on emergency leave, after her grandmother died, when she was killed.

Her family said she embodied Marine Corps values both on and off duty, whether pulling a stranger's car out of a ditch or bringing a stranger gas on the side of the road.

“No matter the way she looked, she was still beautiful, and she wasn't afraid to get dirty," Jackson said. "But she was amazing and beautiful when she cleaned up too."

At just 18 years old, Kustes lived to serve others.

The funeral is at noon Tuesday at Garr Funeral Home on County Road 311.