Family, friends say goodbye to father of 7 killed by suspected wrong-way driver in crash on Highway 101 in San Francisco

ByLuz Pena KGO logo
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Family, friends say goodbye to father of 7 killed in crash in San Francisco
The father of seven who died in a head-on collision was buried Tuesday afternoon.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The father of seven who died in a head-on collision was buried Tuesday afternoon.

With a prayer, family and friends of Waheed Etimad said their last goodbyes. In the crowd, his 13-year-old son, Yahya Etimad, was mourning the loss of his father.

"I'm gonna miss my dad for a long time."

RELATED: Father of 7 killed by suspected wrong-way driver on Highway 101 in San Francisco

Yahya says he remembers his dad as his hero, going to school in the mornings at Diablo Valley College and driving at night for Uber.

"I just feel for my dad, we all miss him so much."

The wrong way driver that crashed head-on against Waheeds minivan, was identified as 21-year-old Kayla Wilson.

CHP officials are looking into how Wilson ended up driving the wrong way.

"She could of potentially come down from Vermont Street. She could of made a stop at Vermont and Mariposa. As you can see to our left that's a Vermont off street ramp and there is a do not enter sign there to our right," said Bert Diaz of the California Highway Patrol.

Late Tuesday afternoon the CHP says other reports point to Wilson crashing into a building in Columbia Square and then getting on the 9th and Bryant off-ramp.

"Anytime a driver is impaired. That can be an indication. Also not knowing the area is very possible," said Diaz.

Meanwhile, the Muslim community has come together to help the Etimad's family.

Munir Safi, a volunteer at the Muslim Community Center, said, "He was taken so suddenly, he was new to the country. He leaves behind seven kids and a widow so the community has really rallied around him."

Since Sunday, volunteers have helped the widow and kids cope with their loss

"After we meet with the family were gonna put them on a stipend and pay their rent for a year to help them out," said Safi.

A GoFundMe page has raised over $200,000- money that his widow will be using in the days to come to pay their bills.