CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — After a head-on crash on Highway 361 near Port Aransas left one dead and another needing immediate rescue, Thursday morning, family friends of the survivor are thankful that first responders got to him in time.
When hearing the news, Christina Bell said it was devastating. "I just kneeled down and prayed to hope, please God let him be saved, please save him."
"They carefully got him out and I think that's what saved his life, in my opinion, because if you see the truck, it's astonishing that he made it," she explained.
Albert Moreno, the only survivor of the crash, was flown to Christus Spohn Shoreline via halo-flight. He is currently recovering after injuries to his legs, hip, and heel.
Moreno moved to Corpus Christi to help Port Aransas after Hurricane Harvey, and has worked for Bell's business ever since. He is a father of two and Bell said his family is missing him this Father's Day.
"He's such a good father and they miss him terribly," Bell added. "I think their cousin came down and Baya asked her to give her a bath, and she's like, 'You have to do it like my Daddy does.'"
Bell's daughter, Lauren Sanders, started a GoFundMe that has raised more than $19,000 to help with Moreno's medical costs. She said it was an important cause for her after what she went through as a child.
"My father passed away in a car accident when I was 14," Sanders shared. "When you have that support from a community, you always feel like, 'How can I repay that? How can I show someone else that I'm thankful and know what it feels like to be supported?'"
Sanders said people from around the country have donated and that she plans to expand the fundraiser's target of $20,000. Her goal is to raise as much as they can so Moreno's family doesn't have to worry when he returns home.
"The support has been absolutely amazing. The people that know him, and don't know him, and people from all over the U.S. that have just donated anonymously. It's just crazy," Sanders added. "It reminds you that there's a lot of good left in the world and that small things make a big difference."
Sanders said they plan to create a silent auction to help raise more funds to help with Moreno's recovery. They ask that any Coastal Bend business who wants to get involved, contact Mrs. Woody's in Port Aransas.
The Auction will begin in a couple of weeks once they have enough items.
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