Bradenton couple died in I-75 crash, leaving two kids behind. Community rallies for family
After a Bradenton couple died in an interstate crash last week, the community is rallying to support the two children they left behind.
Carlos Mendoza Herrera, 47, and Alondra Lopez Gonzalez, 31, were driving in a food truck on I-75 South in Sarasota when a tire blew and caused the vehicle to roll and catch fire. Both died at the scene.
Carlos’ sister, Clara Luz Mendoza Herrera, will now raise the couple’s children, a 6-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.
A food truck rally organized to support the Mendoza family drew hundreds to Big Top Brewing Company in Sarasota on Sunday. Cash donations and proceeds from wristband and food truck sales were collected. A similar event was held in Palmetto on Saturday.
“Obviously it’s sad to lose anybody. But these people were good people, and hard workers,” said Edgar Marquez, a Sarasota resident who brought fellow members of his soccer team, the Sarasota Football Club, with him to the Sarasota rally.
The couple had a fledgling food truck business and delivered locally, including to construction sites. Marquez said family members who work in the industry knew the couple for their “Mexican goodies.”
“I got to meet them and eat out of their food truck once,” Marquez said.
“I’m a parent myself. It kills me. I can’t even imagine my son being without me and my wife,” Marquez added.
The food truck was a recent purchase for the couple. Mendoza Herrera and Lopez Gonzalez had not even yet picked a name for their business selling fresh made Mexican fare, said Miguel Ulloa.
Ulloa, a family friend, operates his own local food truck, El Indio Tacos y Snacks.
“They’d be happy to see this,” Ulloa said of the turnout at Sunday’s rally. “Our goal is to get this family up and running.”
Ulloa teamed up with Lora Rust, owner of Smokin Momma Lora’s BBQ, to organize the weekend fundraisers. Other Southwest Florida food truck owners were quick to get involved as news of the tragedy spread.
“When we all saw the accident the other day, we were all checking in with each other and trying to figure out who it was,” said Jim Mead, a food truck promoter who operates the Facebook page “Food Trucks In & Around North Port FL.”
“And when we found out it was the Mendozas, it just crushed us, and we wanted to do something right away. It’s a nice family,” Mead noted of the local food truck community.
“There’s so much bad going on in the world right now,” said Dean Lambert, regional director of operations for Big Top Brewing. “Despite what happened, it’s super nice to see an event like this to pull together, and so many people supporting it.”
Money is also being collected for the Mendoza family online. A GoFundMe campaign had raised over $16,000 on Sunday.
And a local community aid organization, Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Suncoast, also stepped up to support the Mendoza family. Karen Pharo said the donations have been pouring in.
“To see the kids have a community that steps in to help like this has been amazing,” Pharo said. “We’ve gotten tears in our eyes.”
The organization will present a check and items collected at the weekend rallies to the Mendoza family on Aug. 31.
Organizers of the fundraising efforts hope they will raise enough to help purchase a bigger home for Clara Luz, who also has children of her own.
Donations can be made at jfcs-cares.org/mendoza-fundraiser. The GoFundMe campaign can be found at gofund.me/71154c28, and donations are also being accepted via the verified Zelle account for Clara Luz Mendoza Herrera at phone number 941-301-6974.
This story was originally published August 21, 2022 at 8:39 PM.