A tragic incident on Central Expressway in Dallas has claimed the life of a North Texas mother of three, while her husband remains in critical condition following a wrong-way crash. Friends describe Ruby Gonzalez as the “glue” that held their group and family together.
The fatal accident occurred late Monday into early Tuesday. Kevin Gonzalez was working late when Ruby picked him up, and they were driving home southbound on I-75 Central Expressway near Royal Lane. Around 1:30 a.m., a driver traveling north in the southbound lanes collided head-on with their Mercedes SUV.
Both Ruby and Kevin were rushed to the hospital; however, Ruby later succumbed to her injuries. As of Friday, Kevin is still in the ICU but is reportedly making slow progress toward recovery.
The wrong-way driver, identified as 23-year-old Christopher Ourfalian, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances surrounding his driving in the wrong direction.
Ruby’s friends are devastated by the loss of someone they describe as irreplaceable. “You cannot replace somebody like that in this world,” said Matt Epstein, a close friend of Ruby. “There will not be another Ruby.”
Ruby and Kevin, who were high school sweethearts, married in Spain and had three children, including a 3-month-old. “It’s impossible to recreate what she did for her children, and thinking about her newborn,” remarked friend Amanda Martinez. “He will never get to know his mother.”
Epstein expressed the deep impact Ruby had on those around her, stating, “She is going to be very dearly missed. Her body may no longer be with us, but her spirit lives on.” Friends are reflecting on the fleeting nature of time and how precious each moment is.
<pMartinez concluded, "It's very sad to see that we won't be doing life together. She just departed us one day." Epstein added that "Ruby had a very special way to bring joy to everybody's heart."
