SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Family and friends in Ramona are mourning two victims in a recent two-car crash, including a 13-year-old boy, Daniel Gonzalez.
“I'm empty. Two empty places in my house,” said Jolene Gastelum, Daniel's aunt.
Julie Gonzalez, Daniel's mother, said she couldn't believe it when she first heard about the incident. "I started screaming, 'No, this can’t be my baby.'"
The victims, Daniel Gonzalez and Tyler Hane, 21, considered each other family and they both live in Gastelum's home.
Last Thursday afternoon, Hane was test driving a 2007 Toyota Scion TC he had purchased a day before, with Daniel along for the ride.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), they were heading west on San Vicente Road, east of Wildcat Canyon Road, when the vehicle crossed the double yellow lines and collided with an SUV.
Both victims died at the scene. The other driver, a 61-year-old woman, sustained minor injuries.
“I'm heartbroken, a little lost. I miss my baby,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said her son, who attended Oliver Peirce Middle School in Ramona, was "full of life" with a passion for drawing, photography, and the ocean.
The community has set up a memorial outside the home where the two victims lived, serving as a gathering place for mourning friends, family, and neighbors.
Hane's friends also gathered on Monday morning to remember him, describing him as a positive and loyal friend who loved nature and recently secured a job as a ranch hand at a pig farm.
“This man would come home excited. I’ve never seen a stinkier person, more happy in the world,” said Keynigh Gastelum, Hane's friend and Daniel’s cousin.
While the crash is still under investigation, the CHP suggests that speed may have been a contributing factor.
In the wake of this tragedy, loved ones of the victims urge caution to other drivers, particularly on rainy days.
“Slow down, be patient, get home to your families,” said Gastelum.
Gofundme campaigns have been set up for the families of Tyler and Daniel to help with funeral expenses.
