For Abel Bermudez family was everything. His love for his six children and grandchildren had no barriers.
Despite some of his family living in Mexico, he always made sure he found a way to get everyone together. In fact, that’s exactly what he was doing last Wednesday.
Except this time, it ended in tragedy.
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“I can't even explain it,” said Gabriel Bermudez, Abel Bermudez’s brother. “It’s so hard, it’s so hard to even accept it.”
Gabriel Bermudez says, Abel, who lived in Los Angeles, was driving down to Ensenada to meet with three of his kids. The plan was for them to all drive back to the U.S. and reunite with the rest of their siblings.
He was driving southbound on I-805 near East San Ysidro Boulevard when police said a car driving on the wrong side of the road hit him head-on, killing him.
Police said the driver, 29-year-old Fernando Goneortiz, was driving drunk. Goneortiz was transported to the hospital.
“We're gonna make sure he pays for what he did,” said Gabriel Bermudez. “I mean, he doesn't deserve to get out because he killed my brother. He made a big, big hurt for our big family.”
Gabriel Bermudez said his brother was a kind, loving man who devoted his life to his family.
“He was a happy man,” Gabriel Bermudez said. "He was always thinking about doing better for his family."
As they try and wrap their heads around the tragedy, they have one message for the community:
“It’s a big lesson for people who drink and drive,” said Gabriel Bermudez. “So they learn. So they see the damage, the bigger damage that he did to so many people.”
They hope their story helps prevent others from driving drunk.
Fernando Goneortiz faces three felony charges including DUI and gross vehicle manslaughter. He is due in court on Aug. 7.
