Woman, 23, Died Before Wedding in Crash That Put Fiancé in Coma. He Said 'I Love You' Before They Were Hit

A 23-year-old woman died and her fiancé was left in a coma after they were hit by an alleged drunk driver weeks before their wedding, authorities say.

Now, her grieving partner is sharing details about their final moments together — and his heartbreak. 

On May 2, Tristen Cherry and Katelyn Callahan were hit by an allegedly intoxicated driver going the wrong way on I-44 in Oklahoma City, Okla., killing Callahan, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement.

The couple was driving back home from a festival when the crash occurred, ABC affiliate KOCO reported.

Callahan, the driver, was pronounced dead at the scene, while her 24-year-old fiancé and two 17-year-old girls who were also in the car were critically injured and transported to local hospitals, authorities said.

The driver of the other vehicle, 29-year-old Sergio Ibarra, and his 36-year-old passenger were admitted to hospitals in "fair condition."

Ibarra was later charged with manslaughter in the first degree as well as three counts of driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

It's unclear if Ibarra has entered a plea to his charges or retained an attorney to comment on his behalf.

"We know Sergio Ibarra entered I-44 at Classen going the wrong direction (eastbound in the westbound lanes) for approximately 1/2 miles," officials said. "Ibarra struck another vehicle driven by Katelyn Callahan in the outside lanes of traffic."

The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner says the investigation into Callahan's death is ongoing.

Cherry, Callahan's fiancé, was riding in the backseat in their vehicle when he realized the crash was about to happen, he told NBC affiliate KJRH,

"I kind of sat up in my seat, and I see headlights," Cherry, a restaurant manager, told the outlet. "I said, 'Katelyn, I love you.' And we hit."

The couple had been together for three years and were set to get married on Saturday, May 31, in Bristow, according to their wedding page on The Knot.

While they attended high schools that were just 10 minutes apart, they didn’t formally go out until Cherry asked Callahan to be his date at his fraternity’s formal. They were “inseparable” ever since, according to the website.

According to a GoFundMe page, Callahan was a bartender and nursing student “on the brink of a beautiful new chapter” before her death. 

“Her sudden passing has left a hole in all of our hearts,” added the organizer, who did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Cherry was in a coma for three weeks after the wreck, only to wake up and learn that Callahan had died. 

"It's taken me some time. Still do, to understand," he told KJRH.

He lost multiple teeth and his mouth had to be wired shut. He also had 64 facial fractures, a fracture in his thigh bone and a lacerated kidney, the outlet reported.

The two injured teenagers who were in the vehicle with them are still in the hospital. 

"He couldn't talk," Cherry’s stepmom, Traci Wages-Cherry, told KJRH. "His eyes were swollen shut, so he couldn't see."

Cherry was in the hospital when his original wedding date arrived. To honor it, some of the wedding party came to the hospital, KJRH reported.

Even before he returned home, his community rallied around him: A poker run fundraiser has been scheduled for Saturday, June 28, according to KJRH.

Two donation pages have also been created for Callahan and Cherry’s families. 

“He and his fiancé had a home together, two dogs, were finishing school, working, and doing everything they could to make a beautiful life together,” wrote the organizer of the GoFundMe page to support Cherry’s family.

“We are now trying to help Tristen on his medical journey, physically and emotionally, as this will be a tough road ahead,” the organizer continued.

Cherry has been left to navigate life without his “angel,” as he described her on the wedding page.

"I talk to Katelyn every day," he told KJRH. "The most I can ask for at this point is healing."