Loved ones mourn parents, 5-year-old son killed in wrong-way crash: ‘It’s a hole’
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - Loved ones of a family of three, including a 5-year-old boy, killed in a wrong-way crash on a Tennessee interstate are sharing their heartbreaking story.
Arely Cruz Morales says what happened last Wednesday still sits in her mind. She is shocked that not just one but three of her family members were killed that day in a wrong-way crash along Interstate 240 in Memphis, WMC reports.
She says her uncle, Santos Morales; his wife, Magdalena; and their 5-year-old son, Santos Enrique, were headed back from a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, when a wrong-way driver hit their Subaru head-on.
“The day of the accident, they were coming back to Memphis, but they didn’t get a chance to make it to their house before the accident had happened,” Cruz Morales said.
She says her uncle just started a new job in Louisville, and the family was returning to Memphis to finish packing. She says they were also returning to get a new passport for their son because they planned to travel for summer break. The 5-year-old had just graduated from kindergarten.
Police say the crash happened when a man driving a Dodge Durango drove the wrong way on I-240 westbound in the early morning. The driver hit the Morales family’s Subaru, killing everyone in both vehicles – a total of four people.
“It’s pretty hard, taking it all in at once, because it’s not just one person, it’s three. We did have more heartbreak when it came to his son because he was so young,” Cruz Morales said.
She says her uncle loved to go thrifting and always put family first. She says she will always remember him for the motivation he gave his family members.
“My uncle and his wife were always the ones encouraging us, motivating us – our inspiration to keep on being the best person,” Cruz Morales said.
As the family tries to move forward in the wake of this sudden tragedy, they are now faced with the challenge of getting all three bodies to Mexico for a burial ceremony.
“It does complicate a few things to bring them back home and ship their bodies to get the proper burial where our family is at,” Cruz Morales said.
Cruz Morales says her family is trying to get funeral arrangements finalized as soon as possible, due to the severity of the injuries her loved ones sustained in the crash.
In the meantime, they are focused on remembering the Morales family as they last saw them.
“As close as we were to him, it’s a hole that’s gone right now,” Cruz Morales said. “But we know we have the good memories – the laughter, the pictures, the videos – to always look back to.”
Cruz Morales created a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs. Those who are interested in donating can click here.
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