DALLAS, Texas — Ruby Gonzalez was riding in the passenger seat of her car, heading home on a Tuesday night, when a wrong-way driver changed everything in an instant.
The 30-year-old mother of three was traveling southbound on I-75 Central Expressway near Dallas with her husband, Kevin, when a vehicle heading north crossed into their lane.
The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. on May 19.
Both Ruby and Kevin were rushed to the hospital. Ruby did not survive. Kevin was admitted to the ICU, where he remains in critical condition, fighting for his life.
Their three children — including a 3-month-old son — are now waiting to find out if they will still have their father.
“He Will Never Get to Know His Mother”
Ruby and Kevin were high school sweethearts. Their youngest child was just three months old when his mother was killed.
Close friend Amanda Martinez, who created the family’s GoFundMe, said the loss is something no one in their circle can fully process.
“It’s impossible to recreate what she did for her children, and thinking about her newborn,” Martinez said. “He will never get to know his mother.”
Martinez added, “She was always with her children. She lived for them. And now I’m so, so worried about them. I’m praying so hard that Kevin will make it and he’ll be OK, but they’ll never have what they had with Ruby being gone.”
“You Cannot Replace Somebody Like That”
To those who knew her, Ruby was more than a mother and a wife. She was the center of every room she walked into.
Mutual friend Samantha Cosio said Ruby had a rare kind of energy.
“She’s been that person connecting everybody. She can get this whole group together,” Cosio said. “Ruby had this energy where we just all gravitated towards her.”
Friend Matt Epstein put it simply: “You cannot replace somebody like that in this world. There will not be another Ruby.”
“She is going to be very dearly missed. Her body may no longer be with us, but her spirit lives on.”
The Other Driver Was Pronounced Dead at the Scene
The wrong-way driver was identified as Christopher Ourfalian, 23, who was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the interstate at the time of the collision.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dallas Police are still investigating to determine why Ourfalian was driving the wrong way. No further details about the cause have been released.
Family Facing Crushing Financial Burden
On top of the grief, Ruby’s family is now dealing with the financial weight of medical bills, burial costs, and raising three children with their father in the ICU.
Martinez launched a GoFundMe on the family’s behalf. As of May 25, it has raised over $32,000.
“The funds raised through this campaign will go directly to supporting Ruby’s children, helping cover essential medical bills for Kevin, and providing for burial expenses for Ruby,” Martinez wrote on the fundraiser page.
“The family is facing overwhelming emotional and financial challenges, and every contribution will help ease their burden during this incredibly difficult time.”
If you would like to support Ruby’s children and Kevin’s recovery, you can find the family’s GoFundMe online by searching Ruby Gonzalez Dallas.
If this story moved you, share your thoughts in the comments. This family needs to know people care.
