A gofundme page is raising money for the children of Viola Santoyo, who was killed by a wrong-way driver early Wednesday morning in Carson City.
A fundraiser is underway for a Carson City woman killed by a wrong-way driver on Wednesday.
Organizer Jamie Santoyo is Viola Santoyo’s sister-in-law.
“Viola was driving to Minden for work as she did for nearly 20 years,” Santoyo said.
“She leaves behind her cherished and beloved children, Yasmin and Alex,” Santoyo saidin her gofundme post. “Viola’s elderly parents live with her, and she was their primary caregiver also. Viola was the primary financial and emotional support for her children.”
As of 4 p.m. Friday, the fundraiser had raised $10,625 of the $15,000 goal from 148 donations.
According to the Nevada State Police preliminary investigation, a red Tesla Model S was driving the wrong way on Interstate 580 at 4:48 a.m. a mile east of the intersection with Highway 395 and collided with the 2004 GMC Sierra pickup driven by Santoyo.
The two vehicles crashed head-on, and the Tesla rotated and came to rest in the median. The pickup overturned and came to rest on its roof against the sound wall of the west paved shoulder.
A Carson City Sheriff’s deputy was able to remove Santoyo from the vehicle before the truck was engulfed in flames, but she succumbed to her injuries.
The Tesla driver was identified as Alejandra Hernandez Valtierra, 36, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Northern Command West’s Multidisciplinary Investigation & Reconstruction Team is investigating the collision.