The Fort Worth, Texas community continues to be shocked by the tragedy that claimed the life of Emilio Martinez, a five-year-old boy who died after the vehicle he was riding in was struck by a Trinity Railway Express train.
His uncle, Fabian Rojas, was arrested after the accident, because he was driving, so now the family faces a double pain.
Emilio lived with his father and grandmother, Maria Escamilla, in an apartment complex south of the city.
He was a student at Worth Heights Elementary School, a Fort Worth School District (FWISD) school, where he attended kindergarten.
According to his family, the child spent many afternoons playing in the courtyard of the complex, a space that has become painful for his grandmother, who received the call that would completely change everyone’s life.
Maria Escamilla told WFAA that she was unable to pick up her grandson that day due to work commitments, so she asked her oldest son, Fabian Riojas, 24, to pick him up from school.
Fabian Riojas agreed to help, never imagining that a wrong decision in seconds would turn into an irreversible tragedy.
According to the Fort Worth Police Department, Riojas was driving the vehicle when he decided to go around the crossing barriers, even though the warning lights, bells and mechanical arms were working properly.
A Trinity Railway Express train was already approaching and, according to authorities, the safety system was operating without fault.
The train impacted the vehicle directly.
Emilio died at the scene before paramedics could intervene.
Fabian Riojas suffered minor injuries, was transported to a hospital and subsequently booked into the Tarrant County Jail, where he faces a charge of manslaughter for what police describe as a completely preventable crash.
To meet the funeral expenses of little Emilio Martinez, his family has opened a GoFundMe page.
“As we prepare to give our beloved angel the farewell she deserves, we would sincerely appreciate anyone who could donate or at least share her unfortunate story,” the plea reads.
The Fort Worth community has shown solidarity, and local groups have organized emotional support for the family as they cope with a tragedy that, as Maria Escamilla says, “will last a lifetime.”
