'It's an empty house now:' Colorado brothers mourn the loss of their family killed in Thornton crash
Denver 7 News
It was a home filled with music and kindness, but after a devastating car crash in Thornton on Saturday night, it's now silent.
"It's an empty house," said 22-year-old Daniel Daz, as he fought back tears.
Daniel and his brother, 20-year-old Adam, lived with their parents Francisco Daz and Beatriz Nez along with their two little sisters, 15-year-old Paola and 10-year-old Nataly.
On any given day, Francisco was busy working on cars, while Beatriz prepared food. On the car rides to school, Paola and Nataly joyfully sang along to Peso Pluma, a popular Mexican singer and musician.
It was a simple life, one that brought a smile to the face of Daniel and Adam as they recalled the car ride karaoke.
But the smiles quickly disappeared as they recalled the worst memory of their lives, which took place just hours before they sat down with Denver7.
Daniel said he received an SOS notification on his iPhone, which said that his sister Nataly was involved in a crash.
"I ran out as quick as I can," said Daniel. "I kept trying to call my father, my mother and my sisters, but they weren't answering."
On Saturday night, Daniel and Adam's parents were on a grocery run to Walmart, with Paola and Nataly in the backseat. According to the Thornton Police Department, they were involved in a crash around 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of Thornton Parkway and Washington Street. Police said the family's vehicle caught fire, killing all four inside.
When Daniel and Adam arrived at the scene, they saw the flames and quickly realized the worst.
"I was able to see my dad on the driver's seat," Adam said. "Once I saw he was there and he wasnt moving, that's kind of when I knew.
Adam said the trauma is still fresh and he's unsure how to move forward.
We feel lost. We don't even know what's the next step," he said.
The brothers were building a granite business with their father. Adam said working alongside his father led to some of his fondest memories.
Before Francisco's passing, Adam said his father taught him how to paint. The father and son had recently finished painting the wheels on Adam's car, which he will now cherish forever.
"I still have those wheels and I'll always remember him," Adam said.
After they completed their work, the brothers said they could always rely on their mother to have food waiting for them at home. Even if they returned home late, Nez would still wait up for them.
"Every night, she was just waiting for me to get home," Daniel said. "Shes not gonna wait for me anymore.
The brothers said their long-term goal was to make enough money to buy a house for their parents.
"Now, I don't even know what we're going to do," said Daniel.
If you'd like to help Adam and Daniel, their family has set up a GoFundMe page. They're hoping to raise $30,000 to provide the brothers with financial stability and emotional support.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. Police did not release additional details.