SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Loved ones are mourning the four lives lost in a multi-vehicle crash on State Route 163 last week.
Families of the victims joined ABC 10News from Turkey via Zoom to share their grief over the four men killed early Friday morning.
"We are not believing he is dead. We cannot believe it,” said Mazlum Dursun.
“We are broken. We are all crying, and my parents fainted,” said Samet Hizmali.
The four men, all in their 20s, were in a Toyota Prius on southbound SR-163 near Interstate 805, returning home from a day of shopping. A Toyota Tacoma was behind them.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Tacoma rear-ended the Prius, causing all four men to be ejected.
Two died at the scene, and two died at the hospital.
The driver, 24-year-old Aleim Alavez Garcia, pleaded not guilty Tuesday afternoon to several charges, including DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter.
The four men, recently arrived in San Diego seeking asylum due to poor economic conditions in Turkey, are being remembered by loved ones from afar.
In Turkey, Faruk Cetin, 27, worked as anesthesia technician. Mahsun Dursun, 23, was a baker. Baris Savas, 25, was an electrician.
The family of Abdurrezak Hızmalı, 26, said he had a degree in economics.
“He was calling family every day telling them I am happy in America, that he was hopeful for his future. He had big dreams,” said his brother, Samet Hizmali.
Those hopes were cut short by a suspected DUI driver.
“This is unacceptable. It has devastated our families,” said Hizmali.
A Gofundme campaign has been set up to help the families return the bodies of the four men back to Turkey for timely burials, important in the Islamic faith.
“We can look at his face and hug him, and give him final respect for our brother and our son,” said Hizmali.
The CHP said another driver who struck debris from the initial collision was also arrested on DUI-related charges.
