BURNET COUNTY, Texas — The birthday video is filled with laughter, smiles and singing. In the video, Thalia Salinas, 23, sits surrounded by her four closest friends — Ruby Cruz, Brianna Valadez, Jackie Velazco and Desiree Cervantes — as they sing to her, celebrating another year of life.

A week later, all five women were gone.

On July 25, the longtime friends were heading to the lake when, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a Dodge Ram 4500 pulling a horse trailer swerved into oncoming traffic on U.S. 281 in Burnet County. Investigators say the truck hit a Chevrolet Malibu head-on, then slammed into the Mercedes-Benz SUV carrying the five women. Their SUV overturned and caught fire.

All five were pronounced dead at the scene.

Thalia’s younger brother, Kaleb Salinas, sa

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