RAMONA MOM DIES IN CRASH CAUSED BY SUSPECTED DUI DRIVER

By Miriam Raftery

December 1, 2023 (Ramona) – Andrea Ortiz,44, a single mom with three daughters, was on her way to work Nov. 28  around 7:30 a.m. when a pickup truck crossed the center line on State Route 78 in Ramona. It head-on into Ortiz’s vehicle, which rolled down an embankment. She died at the scene.

A Gofundme campaign has been set up to help care for Ortiz’s children.  The page states, “Andrea had the most beautiful soul with the most genuine heart and a smile that would light up the room. Her entire life was dedicated to her 3 daughters. As a single mom, she worked hard every day to provide for them. Life was always a continuous struggle for her, yet, she’d always find the way to help others. It breaks our heart to think of all the struggles and difficult times that her daughters will be facing. They were left with such a huge void without their mother that not even all of the love we have for them will ever fill.”

Carolina Ortiz, her sister, told  ECM news partner 10 News,  “A part of our heart has been taken from us, and we’re broken.” She wants to see justice served and the driver who killed her sister held accountable.

The driver, Abel Garcia-Luna, 26, fled the scene. He was later arrested at his home in Ramona. He faces charges of driving under the influence, hit and run and vehicular manslaughter, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Julia Ortiz, Andrea’s other sister, asks others to avoid drinking and driving.  “You don’t know whose family will be left empty,” she concludes.