MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Friends are raising money for the family of a Honduran man killed on a construction site on White Station Road in East Memphis Thursday afternoon.
Chris Whitten said Elvin Nunez was unloading materials in the driveway of a house at White Station and Sequoia when a driver jumped the curb, killing Elvin and seriously injuring Elvin’s brother.
“The driver missed the guardrail, a light pole, a tree, and went straight through the yard and struck him,” said Whitten. “Elvin and his brother, Roberto, were hit. I don’t think they ever had a chance to move out of the way.”
Witnesses said the female driver was traveling at a high rate of speed when she lost control of her vehicle and said she also appeared to be impaired.
Memphis Police have not confirmed that but said the crash is still under investigation.
“Roberto is in the ICU at Regional One,” Whitten said. “I believe he has a collapsed liver, and they were doing MRIs, and he was undergoing another orthopedic surgery today.”
Whitten said Elvin leaves behind a wife and five children. He said Elvin’s father was killed in a car accident earlier this year in Honduras, and he has set up a GoFundMe page to help get Elvin’s body back to his mother in Honduras.
“I have no idea what that will cost,” said Whitten. “That could have been anyone of us. I would want somebody to take care of my family if something like that happened to me.”
He said Elvin was a great carpenter and an exceptional father, and he is praying for his family.
“You know, he came here to the United States to work and provide for his family and do it the honest way,” Whitten said.
If you would like to help his family, click right here.