Boy killed when truck crashed through house was straight-A student, loved helping others
The aunt of the 11-year-old boy who was killed when a truck crashed into his Madera Ranchos home described her nephew as a straight-A student at Webster Elementary School who played soccer and loved going to church and helping others.
Alex Aguilar said her nephew, Luis Lopez, was one of four siblings living in the home with their parents and grandmother when the driver of a pickup lost control on Road 37 on Saturday and crashed into the converted garage where Luis and his 9-year-old brother, Matthew Lopez, were sleeping in a bunk bed.
“We are very heartbroken by this whole tragedy,” Aguilar said Sunday. “He was just a child, a little boy. And for it to happen while he was at home sleeping is just devastating.”
The 36-year-old driver is believed to have had a seizure when he hit a mailbox, then accelerated before hitting a propane tank – causing the truck to go airborne before it hit the house. Luis was pinned under the truck and he and the driver died at the scene. Matthew was taken to Valley Children’s Hospital with moderate to major injuries, the CHP said. Aguilar said Matthew was released Sunday and is resting at home.
Aguilar said Luis’ 12-year-old sister, Marissa, was also in the room when the truck came through the wall. Marissa was able to escape harm.
Luis played in the San Joaquin Valley Soccer Development Academy U12 Category that feeds into the U.S. national team.
“Everyone is very devastated right now,” academy secretary Daisy Ramirez said, adding that Luis’ coach was picking the boy up for a game when he saw the aftermath of the crash on Saturday.
A GoFundMe account created by Aguilar has reached more than $15,000 as of Sunday afternoon.
“It will go towards the funeral, hospital expenses, home expenses and anything my sister needs it for,” Aguilar said. “I know she will probably not be going to work right away, so it’s there to help her out in any way.”
Aguilar lives in Maryland and last saw Luis and his siblings in July, when she visited. She has always been close to her family, she said, and she’s devastated because within the past nine years, two other family members have been killed. In 2009, her brother, Army Sgt. Raul Moncada, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq; in 2014, her father died in a railroad crossing accident, she said.
She said her family is just taking it one day at a time while they try to overcome yet another family tragedy. The Madera Ranchos community, where Aguilar and her family are from, have been supportive, she said. “Our local community is truly amazing. They have always been there for us and we are very thankful for all of them.”
Ashleigh Panoo: 559-441-6010, @AshleighPan
This story was originally published November 26, 2017 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Boy killed when truck crashed through house was straight-A student, loved helping others."