SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah family is mourning the death of their wife and mother. Social media influencer Elise Caffee was severely burned in a car accident in Mexico and died Wednesday night from her injuries.
Her friends and loved ones are taking the news of Caffee's death pretty hard, including her fitness friends at Awaken Studios in Murray, where Caffee has been going for the last 10 years. They said she would've been there Thursday morning.
Many of Caffee's friends and followers on social media saw an Instagram post late Wednesday night from her family announcing her passing. Last week, she'd been badly burned in a 10-car pileup on her way to a wedding in Cancun with her husband. Caffee was initially treated at a hospital in Mexico but then was flown to Salt Lake City for surgery at the University of Utah Burn Center, where she died Wednesday.
Emotions were high Thursday morning at the High Fitness class she would've attended. Her close friend and class instructor said she almost didn't know how to do it without her.
"I got the news last night, I don't know how we were going to show up here today," said Emily Nelson, Caffee's Friend. "This is a huge loss; she's one of the good ones. She was such a light to so many people."
Most people would've known Caffee best by her family travels, documented with her husband and daughters to their 45,700 followers on Instagram. The family acknowledged the grief felt by many in a statement announcing her passing.
"We're so grateful for all the prayers and love that have buoyed us up in the last few days and that we know will continue to in the days ahead," it said.
Those who knew and loved Caffee best say they're heartbroken. Funeral plans have yet to be announced.
