A grief-stricken mother in Cuba is pleading for assistance to bring home the remains of her 27-year-old son, who recently died in a car accident in the United States. "Oh, I want my son here, sir, help me, my God!" the woman is heard crying in heart-wrenching footage aired by Univision.
For now, the distraught mother has set up a makeshift altar with photos of her son, but she is desperately seeking help to have his body repatriated. The deceased young man, identified as Yunior Leyva Céspedes, was a native of Palma Soriano in Santiago de Cuba.
Leyva Céspedes had been in the United States for just a year, arriving after a journey through several countries and waiting up to two months at the border before being allowed entry. However, his dreams were cut short in the early hours of September 14 when a 63-year-old driver rear-ended the Hyundai he was in, along with two other young women, aged 19 and 24, who also died in the tragic accident.
In the United States, a friend of the victim is attempting to arrange for Yunior Leyva's body to be repatriated to his family, according to the media outlet, which did not specify whether a GoFundMe account has been set up for fundraising. The car crash occurred around 4 a.m. last Saturday on Interstate-595, near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Leyva Céspedes and the 24-year-old passenger died instantly. The 19-year-old woman was transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where she passed away around 5:00 a.m.
Investigators from the Florida Highway Patrol told News Miami that a blue BMW AG was traveling east on I-595, just west of that road, when the 63-year-old driver failed to notice a slower-moving Hyundai Accent, causing the BMW to rear-end the Hyundai. In recent months, several Cuban families have been left in mourning due to the unexpected deaths of loved ones in tragic traffic accidents in the United States.
Addressing the Tragic Loss and Repatriation Efforts
This section provides answers to common questions regarding the tragic accident and the ongoing efforts to repatriate the body of Yunior Leyva Céspedes to Cuba.
What happened to Yunior Leyva Céspedes?
Yunior Leyva Céspedes died in a car accident in the United States when a 63-year-old driver rear-ended the Hyundai he was in, along with two other young women who also died in the crash.
Where did the accident occur?
The accident occurred around 4 a.m. on Interstate-595, near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
How is the family planning to repatriate the body?
A friend of the victim is attempting to arrange for Yunior Leyva's body to be repatriated to his family in Cuba. It is not yet clear if a GoFundMe account has been established for this purpose.