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Mother and sister of victims speak out after fatal I-10 crash

Posted at 10:21 PM, Jun 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-15 13:25:37-04

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — "They were driving down the freeway and got a flat tire."

Jessica Silvas said she last spoke with her brother, 31-year-old Rudy Silvas, the same day he passed away.

"With my brother, I had just spoken to him a couple of hours before that."

She said it had been a few days since she spoke with her son, 23-year-old Rene Silvas, recalling the last words they say to each other.

"He just said 'ok mom, love you, talk to you later. Talk to you later son.'"

State police said both were killedlate Friday nightchanging a tire on the Miracle Mile exit of Interstate-10.

Investigators said the driver who struck was drunk behind the wheel, Rudy and Rene were pronounced dead on the scene.

"They were both born and raised here in Tucson, they were both very energetic, they were both the life of the family, they both always had the biggest smiles on their face."

The grief is twofold for their family, Silvas said, losing her brother and her son.

"I didn't expect at 23 to be picking out my son's coffin."

She said her family will become involved in raising awareness about drunk driving.

Her message is simple to the driver involved in this accident.

"You don't understand the magnitude of what it does to a family and it shattered us."

First, she said, they mourn, organizing a joint-memorial for Rudy and Rene sometime next week.