$68K Raised For RivCo Father Killed While Working On 91 Freeway

CORONA, CA — A Riverside County man who was killed while working on a construction project last week was supposed to take his family on a dirt bike trip the next day.

Jose Mantecon, 45, is survived by his wife Carla and two children.

"As a subcontractor for Caltrans, Jose was doing what he always did: showing up, working hard, and providing for his family when the unthinkable happened," wrote Amber Reyes in a fundraising campaign on behalf of the Mantecon family.

A GoFundMe to support Jose Mantecon's family get through this tragedy has raised $68,243 of its $75,000 goal on Wednesday. Access the fundraiser here.

"Carla and the kids now face a future without their anchor. In addition to grieving this heartbreaking loss, they are also faced with the financial weight that comes with losing their primary provider," Reyes wrote. "Carla recently launched a new small business, and while she is doing everything she can to care for her family, she needs our help."

Funds will go toward covering immediate expenses and household needs. The money will also give "Carla some breathing room to focus on her children and their healing."

Mantecon was killed last Friday, March 21, when a 2020 Ram pickup truck traveling westbound on the 91 struck Mantecon, who was working that day, the Press-Enterprise reported. The 22-year-old driver of the Ram was not arrested and stayed at the scene.

“He didn’t have a bad bone in him,” Carla told the newspaper. “He was never judgmental. He would put others’ needs before his own.”