Fundraisers Created To Help Pay For Funerals Of Bronx River Pkwy Crash Victims
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Following Sunday's horrifying accident on the Bronx River Parkway, fundraising efforts are well under way to help pay for the family's funeral arrangements.
Three generations were killed when the SUV being driven by 45-year-old Maria Gonzalez clipped a wall and then plunged off a bridge and into an unoccupied portion of the Bronx Zoo.
Gonzalez was killed along with her parents, 85-year-old Jacob Nunez and 81-year-old Ana Julia Martinez, her sister 39-year-old Maria Nunez, her 10-year-old daughter Jocelyn Gonzalez and two nieces, 7-year-old Niely Rosario and 3-year-old Marly Rosario.
Now multiple efforts are trying to help raise enough money to pay for the seven funerals.
The New York State Federation Of Taxi Drivers has set up a relief effort that is aiming to raise $100,000. Maria Gonzalez's husband, Juan Gonzalez, is a livery cab driver and NYSFTD spokesman Fernando Mateo has said "We need to come together as a community and raise enough money to help this family with all of their arrangements."
Anyone who wants to make a donation can call the NYSFTD at 917-688-1648/1649 during normal works hours or they can go to any Chase bank and make a deposit directly to the account named DESASTRE EN EL BRONX RIVER 7 MUERTOS. The account number is 3011 987 533.
A separate effort is being undertaken by a Latino fraternity at Pace University. Hermano Jonel Gonzalez, who lost his mom, sister, grandparents and cousins in the accident, is a freshman student at Pace. His fraternity brothers have set up a donation campaign with WePay.
The campaign is asking people to donate "To help [Jonel Gonzalez's] family through these very tough times."
With a goal of $100,000, the campaign had already raised nearly $62,000 by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
To find out how to donate with WePay, CLICK HERE.
