Outpour Of Love For Teen Critically Injured In RSM Head-On Crash

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — A Trabuco Hills High School student is in the Intensive Care Unit for critical injuries after he was involved in a head-on crash May 24 night while driving home from work.

Junior Cruz Melendez was driving home from his Ladera Ranch job at Shredz when an oncoming car hit a center median near Tijeras Creek Road and crashed into his Jeep head-on, according to a previous Patch report.

The crash killed the driver of the oncoming car, and critically injured Cruz and another unidentified passenger.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by Cruz's family, his injuries from the crash include a broken right ankle, a compound fracture in his right heel bone, broken left femur, collapsed lung, shattered pelvis and internal bleeding in his brain and some organs.

"His injuries will require multiple surgeries and months of recovery," Family friend Taylor Fox wrote on GoFundMe. "We would be grateful for any financial assistance you are able to provide to assist with significant medical bills and his family's immediate need to support him."

Mother Rahnee Melendez told Patch that she is taking Cruz's recovery "minute by minute."

"He's a junior triathlete, and he's super into fitness and working out. He's always with his friends, playing pickleball, being super active," Melendez said. "That's gonna be the biggest tragedy for him."

Residents interested in supporting the Melendez family can donate directly to the family via GoFundMe.

Local Orange County businesses looking to host fundraisers to benefit the Melendez family are asked to contact the family through their GoFundMe page.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.