More than $10,000 has been raised on behalf of Adelphi resident Rosa Guzman, who was identified by police investigators as the woman killed last week at an area hospital after being struck by a minivan crossing the road.
Shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, officers from the Prince George's County Police Department were called to the area of Riggs Road and Ruatan Street in Guzman's hometown, where there was a report of a pedestrian who had been struck by a driver crossing through the intersection.
Police found Guzman, she was rushed to an area hospital with traumatic injuries, where she later died. The driver was uninjured.
Following her untimely death, friends and well-wishers started a GoFundMe fundraiser that has seen more than 150 donors raising nearly $12,000 in the days since it was created.
"As our family grieves the loss of a daughter, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an auntie, a real friend, and a servant of God," Josue Guzman wrote. "So many have offered to help and support us during this trying process.
Guzman was born in El Salvador in October 1969, according to her obituary, leaving behind her longtime husband Plutarco Cabrera and children Christian Cabrera, and Leslie Cabrera, of Adelphi, her eldest son Josue Jonathan Guzman and wife Christina Uliano of Gaithersburg, daughter Jamie Hernandez and husband Jose Hernandez, and her grandchildren, Jaylie, and Jianna Hernandez, of College Park.
The obit states that Guzman worked on her family's farm until fleeing the country in 1989 amid El Salvador's violent civil war and political unrest, joining her siblings in Washington, DC.
"The unbreakable bond among this close-knit family, including her beloved nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins, was a testament to Rosa’s remarkable ability to shine as a bright beacon of light and love to all those that she touched over the years," it states.
Those interested in donating to Guzman's family can do so here.
"She was a vibrant, joyful, and optimistic woman, ever resilient, and a constant source of support, happiness, and laughter to her family and friends," they continued. "She was, truly, a pillar of the community. She had the uncanny ability to make anyone fortunate enough to know her, to fall in love with her.
"Her name, Rosa Esperanza, could not be a more apt description for who Rosa was and will always be: a rose of hope."
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