Family reeling from tragedy

Tragedy struck a well-known local family that owns Perlita’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant on Highway 101 last weekend.

Early Saturday, as Myra Montez, 27, was driving north on U.S. Highway 101 south of McKinleyville with four family members in the car, she fell asleep.

They were completing the last leg of their yearly trip to Mexico to see relatives.

At 7:15 a.m., just before McKinleyville, their car crashed into a tree.

The accident killed Myra’s father, Amador Montez Gonsalez, 54, and nephew Octavio Montez, 5.

Myra, her sister Guadalupe Montez, 17, and her mother, Rosa Montez, were also injured, and while Rosa has been released from Mad River Hospital, both Myra and Guadalupe are still being treated at  UC Davis Medical Center, where Myra is listed in good condition and Guadalupe in fair condition.

When Myra fell asleep, her 2006 Chevrolet Suburban drifted to the east shoulder of the highway for about 300 feet before she woke up and steered the car back toward the highway, according to a California Highway Patrol accident report.

The sudden turning movement caused her car to spin and the right side of the car hit a tree on the east side of the highway.

Judging by the reactions of the community, the family is certainly not alone in mourning.

The Montez family and its restaurant are a Crescent City treasure, said their neighbor and the owner of Skaggs Auto and Smog, Vestrel Skaggs.

Both Skaggs and employee Eugene Michael have a hard time believing that something so terrible could befall the family.

“Everyone’s fallen asleep at the wheel before,” Michael said. “Just a bunch of rotten luck.”

They said there has been a steady procession of people dropping by the closed restaurant, and even coming next door with questions.

“Someone dropped off flowers yesterday,” Michael said.

The restaurant had been closed for the annual trip. It is not yet known when it will reopen.

A memorial fund for the Montez family has been set up by Myra’s sister, Perla Montez, to help pay for medical bills.

The account at Tri Counties Bank on Third Street is currently open, and people who are interested in helping the Montez family can deposit donations.

“If somebody walks in and says this is a donation to the Montez family, we will know where it goes,” said branch manager Bill Newman. “We’ve already had some people donate.”

On Thursday, Perla Montez stressed how much the community has reached out to her family.

“There has been so much community support,” she said. “We really want to thank everybody for all the help.”