IRVING, Texas — A car-train collision in Mexico claimed the lives of four family members from Irving. Now, their community is rallying to help the grieving survivors and to help shoulder the financial burden of bringing the victims home for burial here in Texas.
"The pain is unbearable," said Mike Ahuyon. "The pain is unbearable. I mean, there's no words. There's no words. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."
But they were words an emotionally devastated brother and uncle was able to struggle through because his devastated family needs help.
His younger brother Chris Ahuyon, an Irving car mechanic, is married to Mercedes Borquez Ahuyon. They have four children. On the morning of June 26, Mercedes was on vacation with the kids and her mother Sofia Borquez in Chihuahua, Mexico. It was a trip they'd made many times before.
"We don't know what happened. We have no idea," said Mike Ahuyon.
Mercedes was driving in the area of Conchos Station near Chihuahua when their vehicle either stalled on train tracks or she just didn't see the train coming. The train slammed into the passenger side of their Chevy Tahoe. Mercedes and her mother Sofia were killed along with two of the children: Cresencio, 6, and Cristobal, 6-months.
The oldest son, 13-year-old Cesar, is in serious condition at Hospital Infantil de Especialidades de Chihuahua with his dad Chris Ahuyon and his only surviving brother Cruz, 2, by his bedside.
"My brother lost his wife. He lost almost his whole family," Mike Ahuyon said through his tears. "It's unspeakable there are no words."
Mike Ahuyon, and his friend Jesus Ortiz, agreed to meet us in an Irving parking lot at 595 S. Belt Line Road because this is where they will hold a car wash fundraiser Saturday morning. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of Tailor Made Cuts, right next to an O'Reilly Auto Parts store.
A food fundraiser is also planned to last through 6 p.m. Saturday at 411. W. Marshall Drive in Grand Prairie.
Also, next Tuesday July 12th, Aspen Creek Grill at 4300 W. Airport Freeway will donate 10% of their sales to the Ahuyon-Borquez family.
A GoFundMe page is seeking donations too. The money is for the continuing medical bills for the survivors and for the extensive costs of bringing four family members home for burial, likely sometime next week. They plan to hold a memorial service in Irving for all four family members together.
"Anything helps at this point. Donations, prayers, anything," said Jesus Ortiz. "Anything helps. Anything and everything helps."
As for what happened at that train crossing in Mexico, which did not have crossing arms or barricades, this devastated family hopes answers will eventually come.
"My sister-in-law had crossed those railroad tracks hundreds of times, hundreds," Mike Ahuyon said. "So it wasn't abnormal. It wasn't like she didn't know where she was going."
But for now their focus is on helping the extended Ahuyon-Borquez family bring everyone home.
"They're gone," Mike Ahuyon said. "They'll forever be gone but they will forever live in our hearts."
Broken hearts in need of help to say the most painful of goodbyes.