NEED TO KNOW
- Hermenegildo Cerda, 55, Veronica Cerda, 53, Veronica Denise Cerda, 26, Rebecca Cerda, 20, and Daniela Cerda, 18, were all killed in a deadly car crash on Saturday, May 10
- Their pickup truck collided head-on with a pickup truck driven by Toriano Fair, 43
- Fair survived the crash and sustained serious injuries
A family of five was killed and one person was critically injured in a head-on crash on Interstate 45 in Houston on Saturday, May 10, according to the Centerville Volunteer Fire Department.
Hermenegildo Cerda, 55, was driving a 2023 Ford F-150, with his wife, Veronica Cerda, 53, and their daughters Veronica Denise Cerda, 26; Rebecca Cerda, 20; and Daniela Cerda, 18, as passengers.
Their truck collided head-on with a 2016 Dodge pickup truck, killing all five passengers, according to the fire department’s press release.
The Dodge was driven by Toriano Fair, 43, who survived the crash but sustained serious injuries and was taken to St. Joseph Regional Hospital in Bryan, Texas.
Firefighters responded to the scene at 3:17 p.m. local time, reporting a major vehicle accident near Leona, Texas, the Centerville Volunteer Fire Department said in its release. The Dodge pickup truck was traveling southbound on I-45 when it went off the roadway and struck a guardrail to its right. The vehicle crossed the cable barrier and the I-45, running into the center median before striking the northbound Ford, KHOU 11 reported, citing the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Upon emergency personnel’s arrival, both vehicles were engulfed in flames. Centerville Volunteer Fire Department and Leona Volunteer Fire Department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire while also recovering the victims from the blaze. Multiple agencies arrived at the scene, including Leon County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Highway Patrol — the latter of which is investigating the incident, per the outlet.
“There were at least seven people there, everybody actively just doing something, somebody was dictating what we should do,” Mujtaba Quadri, a bystander, told KHOU 11.
“The fire was raging, I wish I was able to see the other people [in the truck] because I was on the driver’s side, I only saw that one person,” Quadri said. He added that he and other bystanders pulled Fair from the wreck and placed him on a stretcher made of blankets.
“Just imagine how we are feeling, like we couldn’t save them and imagine what he’s going to have to go through knowing what happened, and it’s devastating,” Quadri said. “If I was in their situation, it would give me solace at least, to know that there were random strangers out there helping my family.”
On Monday, May 12, a family member created a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family’s funeral expenses.
“Their lives were heartbreakingly cut short in a devastating car accident that claimed the entire family,” the page description read.
“They were a close-knit and loving family, known for their warmth, kindness, and deep love for one another. Their sudden passing has left a deep void in the hearts of everyone who knew them, and their absence will be felt forever.”
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Representatives for the Texas Highway Patrol and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Wednesday.
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