Two of four young adults killed in a three-vehicle crash in Lehigh Acres as Hurricane Milton approached Florida’s west coast are remembered as lifelong friends who knew each other before they migrated to Southwest Florida from Cuba.
A GoFundMe organized by Ellimay Hernández identified two of the victims as Reysis Hernández, 22, and Mel Viera, 23. The other fatalities are a 25-year-old Palm Springs, Florida, man and a 24-year-old Cape Coral man, while a 20-year-old Cape Coral woman survived in critical condition.
During a brief phone conversation Monday, Ellimay Hernández said the families are not yet ready to speak on the record.
According to the fundraiser, Hernández and Viera were known and beloved to the local community in their hometown of Bejucal, which is roughly 26 miles south of Havana.
The parents of Reysis Hernández and Viera are going through a hard time and financial hardships as they arrange the young adults’ funerals, the fundraiser, written in Spanish, reads in part. The GoFundMe has exceeded its $11,000 goal.