Family members mourn 67-year-old food truck vendor killed in Santa Ana crash
SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Family and friends are mourning a food truck vendor who was killed in a Santa Ana crash last week, remembering his kind heart that was felt by so many.
"The lunch truck was his life... his legacy. He ran his business all over Orange County," the victim's daughter, Tania Ayala, said.
Ricardo "Richardson" Ayala, 67, was known throughout the Santa Ana and Anaheim communities for his Mexican and Salvadorian food. He ran a food truck for 30 years.
Instead of chasing profit, his family says he would say: "I may not have a lot of money, but I have food. So if I can give you food, I'll feed you. So you'll never go hungry."
Ayala tragically lost his life the night of Oct. 7 after finishing up his shift.
His son says he was making a left hand turn when he was hit by another car and ejected from his truck.
"We are all very distraught, we're all very sad. We all miss our father... we're just grieving," Bryan Ayala said.
Tragedy is something that has struck the Ayala family many times. First, Ricardo lost his wife to cancer and then his 15-year-old daughter to leukemia. His son then died in a crash while on leave from Afghanistan.
"My dad's seen a lot of tragedy and he still moved forward, still kept his sense of humor."
Throughout it all, Tania says her dad raised seven kids and left an impact on more than his family.
"I didn't know the reach he had until, unfortunately, his passing. It became something so special because of the stories I'm hearing now of how he helped them."
The Ayala family says they are hurting but honoring a man they say was love, compassion and strength in human form.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover his funeral expenses.
