A young mom who had turned her life around after serving time behind bars has been killed in a car crash.

Paloma Foster, 35, was killed in the crash while driving with her seven-year-old son Cairo and her boyfriend Shiloh, who both survived.

She had grown up in foster care before being sentenced to juvenlile detention as a child.

Foster was released when she turned 18, and later enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley studying political science and public policy.

She was awarded a prestigious scholarship to study at the school after transferring from Fullerton College in Southern California.

Foster spoke about her difficult upbringing in a promotional feature published by Fullerton College. 'My teenage years were spent between foster care and as an incarcerated juvenile and on my eighteenth birthday I was emancipated,' she said.

'You can’t erase or overcome a less-than-ideal childhood, but you can actively make a choice on how you want to perceive that experience.'  

A community group for students affected by prison that she was involved with at Berkeley shared an emotional tribute to her after her death.

'She generously gave countless hours of her time, wisdom, encouragement, and love to help strengthen our community and support others on their journeys,' the group said. 

They also praised Foster's 'warm smile, infectious laugh, beautiful spirit, and genuine care for those around her.'

Foster's friend Marlo De La Mora told KTVU that Foster was riding in the passenger seat while her boyfriend was driving.

De La Mora said Foster had not been wearing her seatbelt correctly and suffered a rib fracture during the crash, which punctured her lung and resulted in internal bleeding. 

She added that Foster would have survived if the seatbelt had been properly secured. 

The Daily Mail has contacted police and the California Highway Patrol for more information. 

In 2024, Foster shared a photo of herself at Yale Law School, adding that she hoped to attend the university after graduating from Berkeley. 

She also posted a photo at the White House and shared a picture with her son Cairo at his kindergarten graduation, writing, 'The best part was having his teachers tell me he talks about me every day being at Berkeley.

'While hundreds of miles apart, Cairo just wants to be like his mom. So I try to be the best example; I hope he knows i'm trying.' 

De La Mora has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for Cairo following his mother's death.