Wife of California man killed by detached tire on freeway gives glimpse into his life
STOCKTON — The military community is rallying around a Stockton first sergeant who died in a freak car accident on Interstate 5 near Stockton this week.
Carlos Castaneda was a unit first sergeant who was like a dad to his soldiers, and when he came home, he was a father of three. The men under his command are now stepping up for the boys of his house.
A picture of Carlos and his wife, Christina, adorns the GoFundMe page set up in the wake of his death.
Wednesday evening, along northbound I-5 near Highway 12, a detached trailer tire hopped a guardrail and killed him as he was driving. Christina was in the vehicle with him and suffered injuries to her face.
"When his commander came here yesterday, I could tell the love he had for Carlos," Christina said.
In life, you could have found him on the links.
"He loved to golf. He was ready to retire like a decade ago, always talking about retirement," Christina said.
Carlos was a man who was loved by his troops and his family.
In Stockton, family and friends dropped off donations all day Friday. Since Carlos' passing, donations have poured in from all over the region, and that support has been felt by his wife and children.
"His military family, they were his friends, his blood, but from the moment that this happened, they have been here for me," Christina said.
It's a reflection of a man who served those around him and continues to do so through his boys and wife.
"He took his role as a father with the same discipline and the importance and respect that he did with his army career and as well as his state. He worked for the state of California," Christina said.
The exact cause of the tire popping off is not yet known, but the CHP said it was likely due to a manufacturer error.
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