LAKEWOOD, CO -- A memorial site honoring a 17-year-old girl killed last month in a head-on collision has become a target for vandals, not once, but twice.

Samara Stricklen's family said each time it happens they feel as though they've lost her all over again.

"We want to remember, because this is the very place that she was taken from us," said Stricklen's mother, Michelle Stricklen-Long.

Stricklen was killed in a crash near Alameda and Florida avenues in Lakewood.

All that's left of the memorial are wires that once held signs, splintered wood that was once a cross, and skid marks on the sidewalk where it appears someone was in a hurry to get away.

It is the second time in a month that someone has torn down the memorial.

"We're feeling re-victimized again in this process. I just don't understand how there could be senseless people who could do this," said Stricklen-Long.

Two days before the vandals hit the memorial site, Ashley Godkin placed a stuffed animal there for her best friend. Now it is gone.

"It still feels like they're taking her away from us each time they tear it down," she said. "It is really sad to see that someone would just take it like it was nothing. "

Godkin said she believes the site is not only a reminder of Stricklen's life, it is also a reminder of the impact of drinking and driving.

Police said the 16-year-old driver that ran into Stricklen's car had been drinking.

Family and friends said they may have lost Samara, but not her spirit. As her mother puts it, "We will not give up. We want to continue honoring her memory."

A grand jury has been convened to investigate the crash, and to determine if the 16-year-old suspected drunken driver will face charges.

A benefit for Samara Stricklen and Seth Mutschler will be held Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Clement Park. There will be nine bands and a $5 donation is accepted.

Mutschler was also in the vehicle with Stricklen at the time of the crash and was critically injured.