Student witness helps families of car crash victims
Senior Josh Brown displays a cellphone link to the GoFundMe page to raise money for the funeral expenses of car crash victim Ashley Martinez. Photo by Lily McCormick.
January 10, 2018
On Jan. 5, senior Josh Brown witnessed a severe car accident in which two people were killed: 15-year old Eloy Herrera and 23-year old Ashley Martinez. Brown felt so devastated by the crash that he decided to try to help the families involved. He was not able to get in touch with the Herrera’s family but, by chance, a friend of his shared a link to a GoFundMe page made by a family member of Martinez’s to help pay for funeral expenses. He then decided he would do what he could to spread the word about the accident and what people could do to help her family. Here’s what he shared with us.
“I was in the P. Terry’s drive-through line, the one by I-35 and Capital Plaza. I was ordering food and I heard a loud crash, like I could hear the truck crash into the SUV. As soon as I heard that, the person who was taking my order just stopped talking and everything just went silent. I knew something was wrong then, so I got out of my car, and I went around the building where I could see, and as soon as I turned the corner, all I could see was this SUV completely in flames. Immediately I took out my phone and took a video, and the first thing that came to my mind was how the family would feel. How hurt they would be about what was happening, and I just felt helpless watching. It was very hurtful and heartbreaking to watch.
“Seeing that and not being able to do anything about it really got to me, so one day I was on social media, and I found a GoFundMe link [for one of the victims] that someone had shared, coincidentally. I was like, ‘Oh I saw that!’ you know, ‘I witnessed that,’ so I was like, I want to help this family out because people weren’t sharing money, really. They only had about $600 in the account out of the $15,000 that they needed, so I thought this was the least I could do to help the family and do something for them because of the helpless feeling I felt then.”
Herrera’s family has also started a GoFundMe page to pay for his funeral. To donate to either of the victim’s families, click the links below.
Ashley Martinez Funeral Expenses GoFundMe page
Eloy Herrera Funeral Expenses GoFundMe page
Sophia Shampton • Feb 22, 2018 at 12:13 pm
I couldn’t find anything on the news about this crash when I first heard about it from friends sharing Ashley Martinez’s photo on their snapchat stories and trying to spread the word to get the gofundme going, so I’m glad that there is an article reaching out to help those families with their losses.
Liana Smoot • Jan 30, 2018 at 11:28 am
This story is very important to share because the victims are around all of our ages and can spread awareness. It also shows that some people are so good-hearted and they want to help out people in a car crash, some people usually just watch and feel sorry and sad. This story shows that some people really do care.
Hannah Zuniga • Jan 25, 2018 at 10:34 am
I really love how touching the stories is. The way it is written really gives you all the details, and it touches you. Also very happy to see a kid from our school do something that doesn’t benefit himself. Very sad to see such young lives taken. Praying for the families.
Molly Odland • Jan 23, 2018 at 12:02 pm
So sad to have lives lost at such young ages. A wonderful thing Josh Brown is doing to help the families of the victim’s.
Rowan Lerman • Jan 23, 2018 at 11:41 am
I love how he reached out to the family, he didn’t need to but he truly wanted the best for everyone and to help, that type of story really inspires people to become a better person throughout their life.
Aidan Golliher • Jan 23, 2018 at 11:37 am
Great story of students helping out the community. This story was a great way to highlight this students achievement that definitely needed recognition
Renee Ziegler • Jan 23, 2018 at 11:33 am
I’m so glad this story is getting covered. It’s important to hear what happened and how Josh stepped up to help. Thank you for adding links to the GoFundMes, and making sure this story is told.
Jazzabelle Davishines • Jan 23, 2018 at 11:31 am
Such an inspirational story, and a great way to use the coverage of this news to provide further support to people in need.
kai hall • Jan 19, 2018 at 2:42 pm
Very sad story and very hard to read I also want to help and send money in out. I love how MAC shield writes stuff that really matters unlike some other online websites that I have seen. reading some of these stories really in-powers me
Tomas Marrero • Jan 19, 2018 at 2:10 pm
I think the article could’ve been a bit more substantive, but overall a pretty well-done and heartwarming story.
Molly Blackman • Jan 19, 2018 at 2:07 pm
wow. truly inspiring. the hearts of MAC kids are so big
Cole T. • Jan 19, 2018 at 2:06 pm
Thank you for including the GoFundMe page, I was wondering how the GoFundMe was currently going and the link was there. Also, why did the crash occur, how fast were they going, were the people in the other car ok? These are some basic facts that weren’t included in the article that I felt should’ve. But, what do I know? Perhaps those facts don’t fit the article or some other some such.
Wyeth Purkiss • Jan 19, 2018 at 2:02 pm
Appeals and speaks through the speaker very well, puts me into the perspective and is very effective at understanding one’s views. Personally I would have wanted a tad bit longer story, maybe about the victims themselves, and their story, just an extension to the already very sad story, and you get how hard it is for their families to go through this. I loved the story of him doing this it is very kind, instead of just watching their he wanted to take action.
Erica Moomaw • Jan 19, 2018 at 2:02 pm
The use of Josh Brown’s quote is a good use of ethos and provides perspective on the incident.
J. Mariana • Jan 19, 2018 at 1:59 pm
It is remarkable at how things that change peoples lives everyday happen and how people don’t do anything or don’t care. Thank you for doing what you can to help these families.
Bella R • Jan 19, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Very informative and definitely an event that needed coverage. Thank you for using this platform to directly help the family!
Zoe Hutchens • Jan 19, 2018 at 1:53 pm
I really liked this article because of its deep meaning. The quotes were really fantastic and you could tell the interviewer went into great detail in the interview.