LEMON GROVE, Calif. (KGTV) - A family is mourning the loss of a 36-year-old La Mesa mother who was killed in a wrong-way crash while returning home with her fiancé and son.
On an evening in late June, Tonia Silva was in the passenger seat of an SUV, when a pickup truck traveling in the wrong direction crashed into them near Sweetwater Road on Broadway, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
"He plowed into my daughter's side, severed her femoral artery. She didn't even make it to the hospital," said Mark Silva, Tonia's father.
Deputies reported finding two open alcoholic drinks in and around the truck, along with a canister of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
The 28-year-old driver, James Mendias, has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
"All my spirituality went out the window. I wanted to kill him… He took my world away, took my world away," Silva said.
Family and friends gathered Wednesday afternoon to say goodbye to Tonia, who was described as a loving and caring mother.
"Today is about thanking God for 36 years of having the best kid, the best daughter," Silva said.
Silva says Tonia was living her best life. She was planning her wedding, which was scheduled for later this year. A few years ago, she achieved her longtime dream of opening a salon.
"She told my mom, a month before, this is the happiest she’s ever been," Silva said.
Silva hopes the driver will face appropriate consequences for his actions.
"It would be a tragedy if he got a slap on the wrist," he said.
As the family began their search for justice, they took time to honor Tonia as an entrepreneur, mother, and daughter.
"The world has lost an angel," Silva said. "The world has lost a very special person.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
