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Raul Magana Jr, Lost His Wife And Son, Explains Accident
posted (April 29, 2014)
Tonight, Raul Magana Jr is recovering from the worst day of his life - the day he lost his son and wife to an accident where he was behind the wheel. Magana was in the drivers seat - and survived without serious injury, while his son and common law wife, who were sitting beside him in the passenger seat both died.

It's an unimaginably difficult situation, but today Magana Jr had the courage to talk to 7News about it. Here's how he explained the accident and his immense loss:..

Daniel Ortiz reporting
28 year-old Lissa Li and her 3 year-old son Raul Lee Magana, passed away in a terrible accident yesterday at Mile 27 on the Northern Highway.

It's a tragic situation for anyone to process, but more so for the driver of the vehicle, Raul Magana Jr. He told us that he hasn't really processed the enormity of his loss of not only his common-law wife, but his son as well:

Raul Magana - Driver of the Vehicle
"I'll be honest; I still can't cope with it yet. The reality hasn't hit me yet. I feel like I can go home open my door and I'll meet them home."

Raul Jr, his son, his wife and 2 mechanic friends went to Orange Walk to deliver a vehicle, and on the way back is when he lost control of the vehicle:

Raul Magana - Driver of the Vehicle
"I was at home and I was trying to get rid of a vehicle that I was supposed to take to Orange Walk, so we decide to take this vehicle to Orange Walk to drop it and turn back and on the way coming down driving before mile 27 we were talking inside the car and I felt something funny so all us of decide to pull over, but by the time I attempt to pull over the tire had completely exploded on me and I guess because the vehicle is high and it land on the rim - the whole vehicle just swerve completely across the highway and it was about to hit a lamp post. I tried avoiding the lamp post and that was when the vehicle started to turn over. I didn't even know when they got out of the car. I realize they were not beside me when the car stop and I look to my side and hollered for them and I notice they were not inside the car beside me anymore, so me and the passenger at the back came out of the car and we started to scream and look for her, that is when I found her like 5 feet beside me in the bushes. She looks like she dies on impact and the baby was trying to gasp for air but I couldn't do anything for her, I tried to move him and other people there were telling me no."

It's no doubt one of the hardest situations to live with, but he says that friends and family are helping to soothe the pain at this time.

Daniel Ortiz
"How are they helping you through this?"

Raul Magana - Driver of the Vehicle
"Well support, friends and family support. She and I were well-known and thank to a lot of friends, everybody comes to visit and support."

Daniel Ortiz
"Tell us a little bit about your wife and your baby?"

Raul Magana - Driver of the Vehicle
"He is 3 years old, he was born on January three years ago and my wife is 28 at the moment. Other than that we were a loving couple. We get along, we had high hopes, I had a baby with her and I had high hopes with this girl. I recently bought a house. Our intention was to make sure the house was paid off so my son would have a house of his own. When I use to leave my house my son actually point at the house at 3 years old and say daddy my house and now it is gone."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, I understand that she helped you with your business place."

Raul Magana - Driver of the Vehicle
"We had a pawn shop together that we had to close down because of financial processes. She was the best thing that ever happens to me in my life, if not the best, she and my son. Everything we do we do it together; we plan everything together, we work everything together and I still can't believe they are gone."

Daniel Ortiz
"How does one deal with the fact that whiles it's not your fault that the vehicle had the blowout, you were at the wheels?"

Raul Magana - Driver of the Vehicle
"That will be a good one; that is one that will always be on my mind for the rest of my life."

Daniel Ortiz
"What's the next step in terms of closure for you and your family?"

Raul Magana - Driver of the Vehicle
"Try to get them down, bury them, try to hold strong. I really at this time is so lost. I don't know where to go from here."

Of note is that Magana's wife and child were in the front seat and were not strapped in. There were also two passengers in the back seat and they were not serious injured. One of them had on a seatbelt.

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