MAGNA, Utah -- A family in Magna is mourning the loss of their aunt and two cousins who were killed in what appears to be a drunken driving crash along I-80 Friday night.
The family wanted to share memories and let the driver of the truck that hit their family's car know they forgive him.
The family said they find some comfort in the fact that the father, Fidel Orozco, is doing much better and is expected to survive.
And now they're focused on arranging a funeral for three family members.
“Honestly the best thing to do with any family whose ever has faced a situation like this, or who has this amount of hurt or pain, you know, we lost a lot in a day," said Deirdre Yazzie, who is the niece of one of the victims, Delphine John. "I think the best thing you can do for yourself and for us as a family to move forward and be strong for Delphine and her kids is to forgive.”
The victim's nephew and niece said they remember their aunt Delphine John for her endless energy, her amazing cooking, and her boundless love.
“She had a beautiful soul, and she uplifted everybody’s spirits when you were around her,” her nephew, Victor Lopez, said. “She was not judgmental, she had that unconditional love, and in the Navajo culture that's what it's all about is love.”
Their two cousins, Anaya Orozco and Delilah Ramirez, also died in the crash. The family wants to bury all three in Arizona on the Navajo reservation where they grew up.
“It's hard enough to deal with one person, but with three people who meant so much to us, you know, that's the difficult part and that's something that we financially, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, just aren't, we are trying to handle it well, we are trying to be strong so that we can continue on with what we need to do for our arrangements."
The family is asking for the community to make donations to their funeral fund set up through Wells Fargo called the "Delphine John and Family Fund", which will be set up at 10 a.m. Monday.
