A search was continuing Wednesday for a driver involved in a street race in a residential area of Mead Valley that culminated in a head-on collision that killed two young brothers and injured their elder sibling.
Dominick Gonzales, 6, and Antonio “Tony” Gonzales, 8, were fatally injured on Oakwood Road, near Brown Street, about 5:40 p.m. Tuesday.
According to the California Highway Patrol, one of the cars involved in the race that precipitated the collision was a black Nissan Altima, likely a 2005 model. The motorist fled, and investigators are asking for the public’s assistance in locating the suspect, whose vehicle apparently did not sustain any damage.
The driver whose Honda Accord slammed into the victims’ vehicle suffered moderate injuries and was hospitalized, according to the CHP. Officer Dan Olivas said investigators intend to seek felony vehicular manslaughter charges against man, whose name was not released.
Family members said Luis Gonzales was taking his younger brothers with him to retrieve their sisters from an after-school program when the collision happened.
Pastor Israel Carlos is counseling the family, who are from Guatemala, describing them as “heartbroken.”
“They’re just asking for prayers, support from the community,” Carlos told ABC7. “In the days ahead, it’s going to be extremely difficult.”
A GoFundMe page raise funds to cover funeral expenses for the boys described them as “full of life.”
“They loved each other so much that no matter how heartbreaking it was for us (who) stayed behind, but they couldn’t live without each other, and both left us with voids in our hearts,” relatives who set up the page wrote. Donations can be made here: www.gofundme.com/dominickampantonios-funeral-expense .
Olivas said Luis Gonzales was driving westbound on Oakwood in his Nissan Versa when the Altima and Accord accelerated toward him in an illegal drag race.
The driver of the Accord was going east in the westbound traffic lane when he crested a hill — directly in the path of Gonzales’ compact car, Olivas said. The two vehicles hit head-on and spun to a stop in the road, he said.
Riverside County Fire Department paramedics reached the location within a few minutes and rushed the children to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where they died less than an hour later.
Luis Gonzales suffered minor injuries and was also hospitalized.
Anyone with information was asked to call the CHP’s Riverside office at (951) 637-8000.