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A California father was killed and his wife left fighting for her life following a multi-vehicle pile-up crash early Saturday on I-80 freeway just west of Lagoon Valley Road.
Around 2:35 a.m., 29-year-olds Greg and Vanessa Tobias of Vacaville were traveling eastbound on I-80 when their blue Hyundai Tucson flipped, obstructing the roadway, according to authorities.
Moments later, three oncoming cars hit Tobias’ overturned Hyundai, sparking a chain-reaction crash across the freeway.
Officials from the California Highway Patrol Solano Area responding to the scene found Greg with fatal injuries, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances surrounding the initial rollover remain under investigation, according to authorities.
Vanessa, who was in the passenger seat, was transported to Kaiser Vacaville in critical condition.
Her sister, Charlize Estebez, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Vanessa’s medical expenses and Greg’s funeral.
“There are simply no words to describe the pain and uncertainty the Tobias and Estebez families are facing. Austin, Greg and Vanessa’s only child, is now facing a future without his father, while his mother continues the fight of her life,” Estebez wrote in a statement on the fundraiser.
Estebez described her brother-in-law as “a loving and caring husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
“It is difficult to find the words to express the pain of losing him so suddenly and tragically. Most importantly, he leaves behind so many friends and family who loved him deeply and who will carry his love with them every day,” she added.
As of Monday afternoon, the fundraiser had received contributions from nearly 500 donors totalling more than $58,000.
Investigators believe both the driver and passenger of the Hyundai were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The 60-year-old female driver of the Kia that crashed into Tobias’ car sustained major injuries and was also transported to Kaiser Vacaville.
The drivers of the other two cars involved in the crash– a blue BMW coupe and a grey Buick SUV– did not sustain any injuries, authorities said.
No arrests were made at the scene. Authorities do not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors, but the crash remains under investigation.
