A Southern California father fought back tears from his hospital bed Wednesday as he described the unimaginable loss of his wife and two young children after a catastrophic crash in Apple Valley.
Felix Valenzuela had been traveling eastbound with his wife and three children last month when authorities say a 43-year-old man from Hesperia ran a red light, slammed into another vehicle, and sent it crashing into the family’s car.
Valenzuela and his 16-year-old daughter survived, though both suffered serious injuries. His wife, 39-year-old Theodora Wilson, and their two younger children, ages 6 and 7, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Hesperia driver was taken to the hospital with major injuries, while the driver of the third vehicle involved in the Apple Valley collision was treated at the scene.
“They killed three people in my family,” Valenzuela said through tears during an interview with Fox 11. “Three innocent people who didn’t deserve to die.”
Seated in a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace, he said his own pain felt insignificant compared with what his loved ones endured. “My injuries are nothing compared to what my kids went through,” he said, “and my wife.”
His teenage daughter, who is still recovering in the hospital, sustained a devastating injury to her head and neck, he said.
“Her skull came off of her… spine, like, completely dislocated,” Valenzuela explained, adding that doctors were able to perform surgery and stabilize her. “Fix her up, I guess, like put her head back together.”
The suspect has been identified as Hendrix Arcadio Collado and has been charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, two counts of reckless driving causing great bodily injury, and one great bodily injury enhancement.
He was initially charged with driving under the influence of drugs. Authorities said drugs or alcohol may have influenced the crash, which is still under investigation.
“I know he didn’t do it on purpose, but you shouldn’t be driving under the influence, period,” he said.
A GoFundMe has been started in honor of Felix’s family with a stated goal of $100,000. The fundraiser has raised nearly $79,000 so far.
He said the crash didn’t just mangle his body — it has broken his heart in ways he couldn’t imagine. “My heart is more broken than anything.”
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