The video shown above is from our sister station, Telemundo 20 which originally reported the story.
A physiology major student from Tijuana is now in a coma after he was run over by a trolley in Chula Vista last Friday and the family is trying to figure out what happened.
Chula Vista police reported an accident between Palomar Street and Industrial Boulevard at 3:32 p.m., however, no other details were provided to the family, and today they begged the authorities of the metropolitan transport service (MTS), to explain what happened and how their son ended up run over by the trolley.
"I want to know what happened to him, and I mainly want him to be okay," Doribel Hernández, mother of Leonardo Paúl Gutiérrez, 20, told Telemundo 20.
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Paul's family says they don't understand how the trolley crashed into him. The incident left him in a coma in a hospital bed, affecting his lungs, kidneys, but mostly his brain.
"He's intubated, he has tubes everywhere, and his brain is the one that received the most impact," said Anny Torrontegui, Paul's cousin.
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His mother and girlfriend said they last contacted him around 2 p.m. when he told them about shopping in the Chula Vista area.
"He came to buy some glasses, some contact glasses, and we were going to pay with my credit card to have more time to pay them and he asked me for the pin and told me, “Mom, can give me the pin again? I forgot, he said,” explained Paul's mother.
And after hours without communication, they began the difficult task of locating Paul with no success.
"I begged CBP to tell me if he had crossed back," Doribel said.
Telemundo20, contacted the Chula Vista police, to understand what had happened and said that MTS had taken over the investigation and said they do not comment on ongoing investigations.
The family described Paul as a cheerful psychology student in Tijuana with many dreams and plans to travel.
"I want to go to Europe, he tells me, if not explore Mexico but I do want to, know, go out, enjoy," said Doribel.
And during his academic plans, he was going to therapy, which his psychologist assured Paul did not suffer from depression.
"His psychologist tells me he is happy to be alive, he is proud of himself,” the mom says. “'I treat him every week, I know he would not do anything.'"
The family says they will stay by his side these days and hope for his speedy recovery.
Paul's family said their main concern is when and if he comes out of a coma, as the hospital expenses are getting high. They also say they are hoping to extend the term of the humanitarian visa for Paul's father, which was only granted for 10 days.
This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. To read the article, click here.
