Fundraiser held to support families of Madera County crash victims

Vince Ybarra Image
Monday, February 26, 2024
Fundraiser held to support families of Madera County crash victims
Days after eight people were killed in a car crash, friends of farmworkers taken too soon organized a fundraiser to help the victims' families.

KERMAN, Calif. (KFSN) -- Pictures of the Madera car crash victims were on display Sunday morning.

Friends organized a food fundraiser in Kerman, where two of the farmworkers were living.

Organizers say it's important to help the crash victims' families during this heartbreaking time.

"We are raising funds for two of the victims -- for Freddy and Victor," says Organizer Anai Galarza. "The plan for their family is to send their bodies to Mexico, so we're trying to raise funds for that. As well as for the gentleman that is in the hospital."

RELATED: Kerman city leaders and community group offering support to families of crash victims

Hector Orozco, Juvenal Jacobo Talvera and Alfredo Morales Sanchez are among several of the farmworkers who died in the crash.

Benito Perez Mundo is the sole survivor of the crash -- he is currently fighting for his life after sustaining major injuries.

Galarza's husband was friends with the victims. She says she's still in shock days after the crash, and she hopes to continue to do all she can to support the victim's families.

RELATED: Here's everything we know about the Madera County crash that killed 8 people

It's not just friends hoping to help the victims' families.

Genaro Andrade with FUERZA says the local organization is working with the friends to not only to make sure the bodies of the victims go to their families in Mexico, but to offer any other help the victims' families may need.

RELATED: CHP identifies pick-up truck driver killed in Friday's head-on crash in Madera County

The crash happened on Avenue 7, west of Road 22 on after 6 am Friday.

A van and pick-up truck crashed head-on. Seven people in the van died, and one person died in the truck.

Investigators say the van had eight farmworkers inside. The van was headed to Lion Farms.

Investigators say most of the people in the van were not wearing seatbelts.

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