Broken hearts: Family mourns loss of 12-year-old months after losing 3 others

CANNON BEACH, Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) - An Oregon family is mourning the loss of their 12-year-old son after losing three other relatives just a few months ago.

KPTV spoke with the family who said their son Rafael Jr. died in a crash on Highway 101 on Monday.

Investigators said the 12-year-old was a passenger in a car that was making a left turn when it was struck by a truck. Rafael Jr. was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries.

The family said the crash happened less than a mile away from their home.

The boy’s father said his love for his son will be eternal.

“I want him to be remembered forever, and I want to keep him in my heart forever,” Rafael Nolazco Pineda, Rafael Jr.’s father, said.

The family said they will remember Rafael Jr.’s loving spirit.

“He was always really happy. He would always give me and my kids a big hug,” Dania Nolazco, Rafael Jr.’s sister, said.

The family said Rafael Jr.’s death comes just months after they lost three other family members in a severe weather-related accident when a tree fell on their car in December 2022.

“We were not even done with one tragedy, and now another one,” Pineda said. “My heart is completely broken. I’m destroyed.”

The family said the love they’ve received from the community and knowing their loved ones are in a better place is what’s getting them through.

“We have a big family and that has been a big support,” Nolazco said.

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