Brother Of Woman Killed In I-215 Crash: 'I Can’t Believe I Lost Her'

PERRIS, CA — A foster youth grieving the loss of his sister in a Riverside County crash has raised more than $6,000 to help lay her to rest.

Valerie Martinez, 24, of Moreno Valley, died Sunday, Aug. 16, after she was ejected from her vehicle onto northbound Interstate 215, north of the Ramona Expressway. She was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 12:33 a.m., according to the county coroner.

"I have a broken family that is trying to come together to serve Valerie right at the last moments of goodbye," David Martinez wrote in a GoFundMe. "I can’t believe I lost her. This is affecting all of us as a community and a family, and I want her to have her own burial, a place where I can visit to give her flowers. I love my sister, and I will always love her. She was so kind and funny, loved by her coworkers, her friends, and family."

In the post, David said he can’t afford funeral costs on his own.

"I am a foster youth who is just barely making it through my life's journey," he wrote. "I have never done this before, and I never expected this in my life."

Valerie's 2008 Mazda 3 "was traveling at a high rate of speed when it lost control, left the roadway, and collided with the guardrail in the center median," according to a preliminary California Highway Patrol report.

Upon impact, the Mazda overturned onto its roof and back onto the freeway where it was immediately struck by a passing 2015 Ford Explorer.

Valerie was ejected from the vehicle "during the crash sequence and sustained fatal injuries," according to the CHP.

A second person in the Mazda sustained moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

Martinez was the registered owner of the vehicle, according to CHP Officer Javier Navarro. It remains unclear whether she was the driver.

The driver and passenger of the Ford were uninjured, the CHP reported.

Navarro said the Ford occupants were not under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, but the Mazda occupants were.

No arrests were announced.

The crash remains under investigation by the CHP.