JERSEY CITY – Khalla Nguyen had an "undying amount of love" for everyone she knew, her brother says.

But friends and family members are spending Thursday afternoon and evening paying the final respects to the 24-year-old woman who WAS killed in a one-car crash early Saturday morning.

"She was a beautiful person," her brother Sam Vo said. "She lit up the room everywhere she went."

Nguyen attended School 23 and graduated from Liberty High School in 2011. She went on to attend the Anthem Institute and worked for Statue Cruises. Vo described his sister as being nice, but not a pushover -- she knew exactly who she was and who she wanted to be.

"People just gravitated toward her," he said.

Nguyen loved to sing and was always listening to music. If she wasn't blasting music, she was either singing or had her headphones in her ears. She was skilled in cosmetology, her brother said.

"Good things definitely come in small packages," he said describing his sister.

Authorities say Nguyen was the backseat passenger in a Honda Accord when it crashed on Newark Avenue in Jersey City. The driver, Khadijah Hamilton, fled the scene with two other occupants after an ambulance arrived to treat Nguyen. Officials say Hamilton had been drinking when she caused the crash.

"Drunk driving is a huge deal," Vo said. "People are just reckless. People really do take life for granted, this is a prime example of that."

A viewing for Nguyen is being held at McLaughlin Funeral home from 3 to 8 p.m. Vo said his family has received an overwhelming amount of support since his sister's death.

"I want to celebrate her life today instead of mourn her death," he said.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.