Dad dies after protecting toddler from oncoming car, family says. ‘Loved her very much’
Karla Alanis can’t bring herself to even think about celebrating this holiday season.
Her brother, 35-year-old Jorge “Alonso” Garcia, died days after he was injured saving his daughter from being hit by a car in Colorado, the family told news outlets.
“You see every family who is celebrating Christmas and enjoying this time with their families, and we’re missing a part of our own,” Alanis told KDVR.
At dusk on Dec. 7 in Denver, Garcia was crossing the street with his 2-year-old daughter, Lizbeth, in a stroller, his family told KMGH. He suddenly noticed a car barreling toward them. Instinct took over as Garcia pushed the stroller out of the way, just before the vehicle hit him. Garcia was rushed to a hospital.
“He had a fractured ankle in four places, a broken elbow, broken ribs, torn ACL and a fracture in his head,” Alanis told KDVR.
The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene after the crash and was cited with careless driving resulting in injury and no proof of insurance, Denver police told KUSA.
A day and a half later, Garcia was discharged to await surgery, CBS Colorado reported. His wife, Sabrina Chavez, remembers him being in terrible shape when he got home.
“He was screaming and crying,” she told the outlet.
Two days later, the family found him unresponsive, KUSA reported.
“I gave him CPR for seven minutes,” Alanis told the outlet.
When the paramedics arrived, they performed life saving measures for another 45 minutes, but it was too late, Alanis told CBS Colorado. Garcia was pronounced dead.
“That was my heart in human form,” Alanis said about her brother, according to CBS Colorado.
Garcia was a devoted Broncos fan and a family man, KUSA reported.
According to the family, the medical examiner has yet to determine the official cause of death, KUSA reported. When asked if charges to the driver will be changed, Denver police told the outlet that the incident is still under investigation.
The family is now left with a deluge of bills, they told CBS Colorado. They are crowdfunding to try to cover costs.
The family said Garcia will live on through his daughter, according to CBS Colorado. According to Alanis, Lizbeth has been asking for her dad.
Garcia himself had been raised without a father. His family told KMGH that Garcia had made a pledge to Lizbeth to never leave her side.
“He loved her very much,” Alanis told KDVR. “He did everything for her — even sacrificing his own life for her.”
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