A California father was killed and his wife was left critically injured after their SUV flipped on a major freeway and was struck by multiple vehicles in a predawn chain-reaction crash.
Greg Tobias, 29, of Vacaville, was pronounced dead at the scene on I-80 just west of Lagoon Valley Road around 2:35 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. His wife, Vanessa Tobias, also 29, was rushed to Kaiser Vacaville in critical condition.
The couple was eastbound in a blue Hyundai Tucson when the vehicle rolled over and blocked the roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol Solano Area. Three oncoming cars then slammed into the overturned SUV, triggering the pile-up.
Investigators believe both Greg and Vanessa were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the initial rollover. The circumstances that caused the Hyundai to flip remain under investigation.
The 60-year-old female driver of a Kia that struck the Tobias vehicle sustained major injuries and was also transported to Kaiser Vacaville. The drivers of the other two vehicles involved — a blue BMW coupe and a grey Buick SUV — escaped without injuries, authorities said.
No arrests were made at the scene. Officials do not suspect drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
Vanessa’s sister, Charlize Estebez, launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover medical expenses and funeral costs. In a statement posted on the fundraiser, she described the devastation facing both families.
“There are simply no words to describe the pain and uncertainty the Tobias and Estebez families are facing. Austin, Greg and Vanessa’s only child, is now facing a future without his father, while his mother continues the fight of her life,” Estebez wrote.
Estebez described her brother-in-law as “a loving and caring husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”
“It is difficult to find the words to express the pain of losing him so suddenly and tragically. Most importantly, he leaves behind so many friends and family who loved him deeply and who will carry his love with them every day,” she added.
The crash shut down portions of the busy interstate as emergency crews worked through the early morning hours. The investigation into the full sequence of events is ongoing.
By Monday afternoon, nearly 500 donors had contributed more than $58,000 to the GoFundMe campaign.
The Tobias family had already endured hardship — Austin, 7, lost his mother in a separate tragedy just one year prior, according to coverage of the crash. He now faces the loss of his father as his surviving parent remains hospitalized.