The mother of a suburban Chicago teenager who died in a drunken-driving crash went to Calumet City to accept his diploma.

Aaron Dunigan died less than a week ago in a Calumet City crash just hours before his high school graduation.

Dunigan was riding in a car with two classmates when the driver of the car turned into traffic and crashed into an oncoming truck.

The crash resulted in the death of 56-year old truck driver Juan Rivera, a Metra worker from Calumet City. Dunigan was killed and the driver of the car, David Peden, 18, has been charged with DUI for death and reckless homicide.

On Wednesday his mother, Katherine Jackson, walked across the stage at Thornton Fractional North High School wearing her son’s cap and gown to accept diploma on his behalf.

Aaron's father was wearing a football T-shirt with his son's name and player number emblazoned on the back.

In a crowded auditorium, Katherine Jackson said, "He knows his mom never walked the stage. I'm going to be his legs and he's going to be my wings, and we're going to go up there and get our diploma”.

Dunigan was a quarterback on the school's football team and hoped to play football at Southern Illinois University. He was remembered during the ceremony as an athlete, scholar and a friend.

After the ceremony, Jackson spent time with her son's classmates, hugged them and cried. She said that her son has left a piece of him inside all of them. Every time she hugged one of them, she got a little piece of her baby back.