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Family Injured in New Year’s Day Crash Still Hospitalized

Posted at 9:55 AM, Jan 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-04 16:47:09-05

A Corpus Christi family of 4 remain hospitalized.
At least one of them in intensive care we are told, following a crash with a wrong-way driver early New Year’s Day.
Another family member, who was not in the car when the accident took place, spoke with Action Ten News about what she’s learned about the accident, and what the community is doing to help the family

Celine Serna, a daughter of the Serna family, says she was sleeping when the rest of her family left to take her brother to the airport.
Jason Serna had given his family a surprise visit home for Christmas.
But his leave had expired, and he had to get to back to his base in Kansas.

Celine recalled being startled by a phone call from her mother later that morning.
“We just had an accident. Your dad lost his legs.”

Police say Richard Lopez was driving his SUV the wrong way on SPID near Staples, when he hit another SUV, the one the Serna family was in, head on.
“I was scared,” Celine Serna said.

Lopez died at the scene.
Police believe he may have been under the influence of alcohol.
Celine’s mom, dad, brother, and brother’s girlfriend were trapped in the wreckage, and had to be pulled free.

Celine told us she and her family are forever grateful to the 2 passers-by who pulled her dad out of his s-u-v right before it burst into flames.
He was already on fire.
She remembers seeing him, briefly, when she got to the hospital.
“He looked really bad.”

71-year-old GR Serna sold cars for Autonation.
And the dealership has responded, starting a go-fund-me account called ‘GR Serna’s Medical Bills.’

We’re told Mr. Serna has already been thru 4 surgeries since the wreck.
And Celine recalled something her mom told her.
“She’s really scared about my dad. She said that she doesn’t know what she’s going to do without him.”

Celine says her mom, brother, and her brother’s girlfriend are expected to recover from broken bones and internal bleeding.
She also says her brother Jason may be given a medical discharge from the military depending on his and his dad’s recovery.
Again, the go-fund-me account is called GR Serna’s Medical Bills.