- Manny Camacho died Jan. 8 after being struck by a piece of wood from a logging truck while driving a box truck on Highway 118
- Family members describe Camacho’s death to local news station as “freak accident”
- After Camacho’s sudden death, more than $15,000 was raised through GoFundMe
Family members are speaking out after their loved one was killed in what they describe as a “freak accident” involving a logging truck earlier this month.
A 23-year-old man was driving a box truck on Highway 118 in Chatsworth the morning of Jan. 8 when his vehicle collided with a logging truck in front of him, the California Highway Patrol said, according to Los Angeles Times and CW affiliate KTLA.
A piece of wood from a logging truck struck the truck driver, who died on impact, FOX affiliate KTTV reported.
M’Liss Silva said her son Manny Camacho died of “blunt force trauma to the torso,” according to KTTV. As of Monday, the cause of the crash reportedly remained under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, which PEOPLE contacted for additional information.
Camacho’s uncle Marc Martinez considered his nephew a safe driver.
“We completely understand that it was a freak accident, but we think it was an accident that should have been avoided given how safe he was,” Martinez told KTTV.
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The family said Camacho recently graduated from Azusa Pacific University, KTTV reports.
He was also all-league in football, wrestling and track and field in high school, where he earned a grade point average greater than 4.0.
Manny Camacho.
GoFundMe
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“The hardest thing is getting up every day and as soon as I open my eyes it’s not a dream,” Silva told the station. “It’s my new reality.”
As of Wednesday afternoon’s announcement, more than $15,000 has been raised through GoFundMe to help Camacho’s family following his sudden death.
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In a campaign update posted on Sunday, Silva thanked everyone who has shown support over the past few days.
“As the days go by, I realize how good a friend he was to so many,” she said of her first-born son.
Authorities said the box truck’s speed may have been a factor in the Jan. 8 crash, according to times. The truck driver was hospitalized with moderate injuries.
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