Madera truck driver who never returned home from Grapevine remembered as a family man

When truck driver Michael Forgues left his family in Madera on Christmas Day, they fully expected him to return home as usual the next day.

Instead, Forgues, 51, was found dead inside his cab along a snowed-out Interstate 5 on Thursday morning, as a storm halted holiday traffic between Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley.

A tow truck driver working to clear the roads found Forgues near Lebec, according to the California Highway Patrol. He was under blankets inside the sleeper berth of his truck. An autopsy is planned, but Forgues appeared to have died in his sleep after pulling over on Christmas night to wait out the storm.

At home in Madera, April Clark is still hoping her boyfriend of 18 years will somehow walk through the door and tell them it was all a joke.

“I’m just trying to get through every day for now,” she said. “It still feels like he’s due in any time.”

Forgues leaves behind Clark and their two children, Emily Clark-Forgues, 17, and Mallory Clark-Forgues, 16; and two stepchildren, Jerika Clark, 25; and Justin Trumpower, 23.

Remembering Michael Jean Forgues

As a truck driver, Forgues was often away, but his trips into Riverside and the Los Angeles area never took more than a day and a half, according to Clark.

Forgues drove trucks for 18 years, and before that was a painter. He was “the nicest person you’ll ever meet,” Clark said, and went to work no matter what to provide for his family.

For fun, Forgues played the drums and liked to watch videos with his daughter, Emily.

“He was always helping me out of my situations,” Clark joked, remembering the times she ran out of gas while driving. “He took care of everything. I didn’t even have to look at a bill.”

She said their family celebrated Christmas early to be with him before he left for his trip.

Now she is hoping a Facebook fundraising campaign can help her pay for funeral expenses and adjust to losing her partner. People have already donated $1,250 to the campaign.

Snowed-in on the Grapevine

Clark said Forgues had been snowed-in before a few times in his career, so she didn’t think much of it when he called Christmas night.

“He told me, ‘right now everyone is kinda just stuck.’ ”

He even sent her a few photos of the scene on the Grapevine.

“He’s never been (gone) longer than this,” she said. “I’m still expecting him to walk in.”

This story was originally published December 28, 2019 at 3:02 PM.