A local restaurant has organized a fundraiser to help the family of a beloved coworker who was killed recently in a motorcycle crash.
According to Police Chief Matthew Perkins, the Lakeville Police and Fire Departments responded to a location on Route 18 in Lakeville at just before 6:30 p.m. Monday for a report of a motorcycle crashing into another vehicle.
Upon arrival, Lakeville police officers and firefighters located a Yamaha motorcycle that had crashed into a Honda CRV. The operators of both, who were the sole occupants of each vehicle, were seriously injured. The man operating the motorcycle and woman operating the CRV, were taken to Morton Hospital in Taunton by Lakeville Fire ambulances.
The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office told Fall River Reporter on Friday that a 24-year-old male on the motorcycle was killed.
According to a GoFundMe fundraiser and ownership at Tortilla Flats in Providence, they are mourning one of their own.
“The Tortilla Flats family has suffered a heartbreaking loss. If you’ve eaten at Tortilla Flats over the past several years, there’s a very good chance that Rafael Cruz cooked your meal. Rafael was one of the backbones of Tortilla Flats. Day after day, he showed up ready to work, always with a smile, a great attitude, and an enormous heart. He was an incredibly hard worker, a talented cook, and most importantly, a wonderful friend to so many people.
“Rafael didn’t just make great food. He helped make the people around him better. Over the years, he taught and mentored countless other cooks and chefs, sharing his knowledge and helping them become better at what they do. He made friends with nearly everyone who had the privilege of working alongside him. He was truly part of the Tortilla Flats family.”
Ownership told Fall River Reporter that Cruz was an amazing young man and they will miss him very much.
The fundraiser is to raise money to help cover the significant costs of transporting Rafael home to the Dominican Republic.
The crash is under investigation by the Lakeville Police Department with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.
