A San Leandro man who was one of three injured in a snow-caused crash on state Highway 50 last week remains hospitalized and is facing serious financial challenges in the aftermath, his family said.
Cesar Paz, 22, was one of two good Samaritans who stopped to help 23-year-old Concord resident Daniel Tam put on tire chains on Feb. 16. Authorities said a pickup truck lost control because of the snow on a stretch of the highway near South Lake Tahoe and ran into the group.
Tam remains hospitalized. A 23-year-old San Jose resident also was injured; he has not been identified publicly, and no updates to his condition have been given.
Paz’s family has started an online fundraiser that is seeking $7,000 to help pay for his medical expenses. It had raised $1,490 by midday Wednesday.
“My brother-in-law showed his generous spirit by stopping (to help),” fundraiser organizer Kathleen Ochoa wrote on the page. She added that the crash left Paz with multiple broken bones and other severe injuries. She said he was still in critical condition at a hospital.
“What makes this even more difficult is that my brother-in-law does not have insurance and is not eligible for any medical programs,” Ochoa wrote. “He is the sole provider for his wife and their 1-year-old baby girl, both of whom depend on him. The doctors have told us that due to the severity of his injuries, (Paz) will not be able to work for at least one year while he recovers. This has left his family facing not only emotional distress but also overwhelming financial challenges.”
A similar fundraiser for Tam raised $12,624 dollars by Wednesday afternoon. A friend of his said that he is likely to be out of the hospital in a few days but that further tests remain to determine how long-term some of his injuries will be.
Tam had been on his way to Lake Tahoe to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend when the crash happened.
“He was clinically dead with no pulse” in the moments after the crash, Tam’s fundraiser organizer and friend Yasmine Zeidan said. “But the rescuers had the equipment to resuscitate him, including a defibrillator, and luckily were able to bring him back.”
Zeidan said Tam is conscious but has not spoken much. She said he graduated from UC Davis last year and had been working at a sunglasses shop with her.
“Having worked with him for four years, he has a very vibrant and bright energy,” she said. “I’ve never met anyone who dislikes him. He’s very popular, very well-liked and a sweet person.”
Zeidan will help co-host a bake sale Saturday at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek outside of Macy’s to raise more money. It will run from noon to 5 p.m. and will offer pumpkin bread, cobbler, brownies, cookies and non-alcoholic drinks.
Leave a Reply