3 Young SMC Best Friends Killed In Crash Laid To Rest

MENLO PARK, CA — The Peninsula community — many from the local police and fire agencies — gathered Thursday to remember the tragic loss of three young lives. Andrew Gonzales, 18, of Menlo Park, alongside Matthew Cruz, 18, and Ricardo Torres, 19, of Redwood City, were all be memorialized in a joint funeral service at a local church.

Meanwhile, a viewing on Wednesday night also drew out hundreds of friends and loved ones of the teenagers who were killed in a Halloween night crash. The three — described as inseparable "good kids with bright futures" — were found on the morning of Nov. 1 in the wreckage of a crash off Skyline Boulevard in unincorporated San Mateo County.

Approximately 1,000 people were expected to attend Thursday's service. San Mateo County sheriff's officials warned area residents who are not going to the service to avoid the area if possible.

"Due to a large funeral, expect extensive traffic delays in central Menlo Park from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.," the sheriff's department said. "Please consider alternate routes and allow for additional travel time."

Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman shared the following information about the funeral service and what the families are hoping to do next:

A joint memorial and viewing service for Matthew Cruz, Andrew Gonzales and Ricky Torres was held
at Nativity Church in Menlo Park to an overflowing crowd estimated to be as large as 800 people
Wednesday evening.

The three lost their lives on October 31, 2017, in a single vehicle accident on Highway 35 near Bear
Gulch Road in Woodside. Two of the three, Gonzales and Torres were Menlo Park Fire District
Explorers and Torres was the oldest son of the Fire District’s Master Mechanic Rudy Torres who has
worked with the Fire District for 14 years.

Matthew Cruz spent almost three years on the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities Leagues Teen Leadership Council and Mentoring program where he worked directly with Deputies and staff to help improve the North Fair Oaks community where he had a positive impact through his leadership of various projects and working with children.

Rather than accept donations or flowers, the families have decided start a Go-Fund- Me Account to do something to help prevent further loss to other families. They feel that if the guard rail in that location
along Highway 35 would have been in place their boys might still be alive today.

The installation of guard rail was an idea brought up by Gary Cruz, Matthew's father because he
doesn’t want any other families to go through what he and his wife Lety are going through right now.
He knows this is just one small strip of roadway but he believes every bit helps and it will give him
comfort if it could save a life in the future. Upon hearing this idea Rudy and Barbi Torres, Shelley
Gonzales and Jason Perez (Andrews’s brother) all want to be involved in bringing this together
working with Cal-Trans and the County.

To donate, head to the GoFundMe page here.

Schedule of Services Today - Thursday

• Thursday, November 9th – Funeral at Nativity Church located at 210 Oak Grove Avenue in Menlo Park -
• 1.30 pm -Nativity Church - Mass/Service (Attendance of 1000 people is expected)

• 4 pm - Procession to grave site – Skylawn Cemetery (100 vehicles anticipated)
• Route – Oak Grove Avenue to El Camino Real South to Sandhill Road to Highway 280 North to Highway 92 to Skylawn Cemetery (Only one on-duty Menlo Fire Engine Company will be released to attend and participate)

All on-duty and off-duty Menlo Park Fire District personnel will be attending the funeral services and
surrounding fire agencies will be covering the Fire District.

"Depending upon the scope and scale of any emergency received during that period of time, we’ll be prepared to immediately re-deploy our personnel, but they all wanted to support these families and pay their final respects to these three young men. Using our normal automatic aid coverage plan, other fire agencies will be in the District and available to take calls for service, we very much appreciate that help”, Fire Chief Schapelhouman said.

SEE PREVIOUS:

• 2 Menlo Park Fire Explorers Killed In Crash Were 'Fine Young Men'
• 3 SMC Teens Dead In Skyline Blvd Crash: CHP
• Teenagers Killed In San Mateo County Crash Identified

Main Image: Photograph Above - Matthew Cruz (left) – Andrew Gonzales (right) and Ricky Torres (above) having fun together / Courtesy: Menlo Park Fire Protection District