Over $40k raised for children of Kenyan couple who died in wrong-way crash in California

Over $40,000 has so far been raised for the children of a Kenyan couple who tragically died in a wrong-way crash in Chino Hills, California, on Sunday morning. According to FOX 11, officials said Gedion Mbatha Mutuka, 43, and his wife Ruth Mulisa Wambusa, 38, were driving in a 2018 Volvo on the freeway when a 2021 Volvo that was heading northbound in the southbound lanes crashed into the couple’s vehicle.

The driver and passenger in the 2021 Volvo also died in the crash. Following the initial accident, officials said two other vehicles also hit the deceased Kenyan couple’s vehicle. In a video of the fatal incident, one of the cars can be seen engulfed in total flames. 

Officials said responding officers were unable to rescue the occupants of the burning vehicle because of the severity of the flames. The individuals driving the two other vehicles sustained injuries.

Though authorities are still investigating the crash, the GoFundMe that was set up to raise funds for the deceased Kenyan couple’s family stated that the accident was “caused by a wrong-way driver.” The incident occurred in the wee hours of Sunday.

In an interview with KABC, Gedion’s sister, Horelia Kuria, said, the couple had gone out with friends to celebrate Gedion’s birthday before the fatal accident. “He was a dedicated dad, he was committed to his family and he was a caring brother and caring friend to everyone that knew him,” Kuria said.

“Same goes for Ruth. Ruth went to nursing school here, she was a registered nurse,” she continued. “She was committed to her children.”

The couple leaves behind three children aged 3, 7, and 12, per GoFundMe. Proceeds from the donation will also be used to cover burial and funeral expenses. “Many of their family members reside in Kenya and those here will have the task of caring for and ensuring these children can continue to live their lives with as little interruption as possible,” the fundraiser stated.

“The family would appreciate any assistance to cover burial/funeral expenses as well as financial assistance to continue to raise these children in their home and give them everything their parents would have loved to.”