A tragic incident occurred on a California freeway when a nurse and a Marine veteran were killed after stopping to help victims of a crash. Nereida ‘Nery’ Benitez, an emergency room nurse, and Gary ‘Chad’ Tillman, a Marine veteran, were driving on the freeway when they saw the aftermath of the crash and stopped to assist.
Details of the Incident
The collision they stopped for was caused by an alleged drunk driver who rear-ended another vehicle, causing it to veer into the center divider of the freeway. Both Benitez and Tillman were struck by another car as they tried to assist the victims of the crash. First responders pronounced them dead at the scene, police said.
Tillman, 54, of Fallbrook, was a diehard fan of the San Diego Padres and worked as a trucker after 12 years of serving as a drill sergeant in the Marines. Benitez, a 40-year-old mother and avid hiker, had just celebrated her 14th wedding anniversary in Yosemite with her husband, Emilio Hernandez.
Coworkers say that Benitez had just completed her enlistment to join the U.S. Air Force, where she planned to become a trauma nurse. Her husband said that despite the tragedy, he knows that Benitez would have stopped to help anyone, even if she knew they were driving under the influence.
The alleged drunk driver, 21-year-old Jake Lopez Lawrence, was arrested at the scene and booked on suspicion of felony DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter. He has since bailed out of jail but is due in court for arraignment.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
