Friends and family gathered Thursday at the Beecher Funeral Home in Brewster to mourn the deaths of a mother and her daughter who were struck and killed by an alleged drunken driver.

Lori Donohue and her 8-year-old daughter, Kayla, were walking to a dance class at the Seven Stars School of Performing Arts on Route 22 shortly before 7 p.m. Monday when police say they were struck by a pickup truck.

Lori Donahue's brother, John Luhrs, says his brother-in-law and his 5-year-old nephew are trying to be strong in the face of the tragedy. Luhrs adds that his family is appreciative of the community support.

"It's beyond family and friends," he says. "It's strangers and people in the community. My sister and Kayla touched a lot of lives."

Just blocks away from the funeral home, people continued bringing flowers, teddy bears and cards to a makeshift memorial that was set up at the site of the accident.

"All the kids are very shaken up, and we are just doing as much as we can to support them," says Ellen Finn, of Brewster.

Zacaria Conses-Garcia, an illegal immigrant who police say was driving the pickup truck, has been charged with first-degree felony vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. Conses-Garcia remains in the Putnam County Jail on $150,000 bail.

Funeral services for Lori Donahue and her daughter will be held Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brewster.