The family and friends of a man who died in an April 12 crash on The Old Road is seeking the community’s help to cover the cost of a funeral for the father of two.
Mario Alberto Contreras Hernandez, 39, of Castaic, was driving his Subaru north toward Constitution Avenue around 12:40 a.m. when he “made an unsafe turning movement” from the right lane of the road to his left, according to a California Highway Patrol report.
Contreras lost control and the front of his car crashed into the raised concrete center island, causing the Subaru to spin out of control before coming to a stop wrapped around a tree on the raised median, according to the report.
L.A. County Fire Department officials arrived on the scene first and extracted Contreras from the Subaru. Contreras was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries he sustained in the crash.
A 23-year-old passenger, who also was from Castaic, managed to get himself out of the car and was waiting by the vehicle when first responders arrived, according to officials.
CHP officers are still investigating the cause of the crash, and anyone with information can contact investigating Officer Y. Osorio or Josh Greengard at the CHP Newhall area office at 661-600-1600.
A friend of Contreras’ put out a call for help online through GoFundMe, calling Contreras a “very positive, high-spirited person with an infectious smile.”
He left behind a 10-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son, and the family is looking for help with the funeral costs, food and rent. The effort has raised more than $6,400 of its $20,000 goal.
A link to the GoFundMe is available here: gofundme.com/f/mario-contreras.