Crash victim’s family in tense wait for answers
RICHMOND: Woman was visiting from Costa Rica
The family of a Costa Rican woman killed in a car crash near Vancouver International Airport on the weekend is searching for answers from afar.
Marcela Avila, 42, has been identified by family members as the passenger killed Saturday on Grant McConachie Way when the car in which she was riding was struck from behind by an alleged drunk driver.
“We can’t believe this,” said an email from Alonso Mora, who is married to Avila’s cousin and resides in Avila’s hometown of San Rafael de Heredia in Costa Rica.
“There is a lot of mixed feelings, but the more sad is that we don’t have any more info”
Mora said Avila arrived in Vancouver on her first trip to Canada only minutes before the accident.
More said she hadn’t even had the chance to post anything to Facebook or let friends and family know that she had arrived to Canada.
Avila had come to meet the family of her partner Glenn Taylor, a 50-year-old B.C. man who had been spending time in Costa Rica.
Taylor is the president of Global Design Collective, and had previously founded Arson and Orb clothing brands. The couple met in Costa Rica and had been together for only a few months.
On Saturday, Taylor was driving a red 1983 Porsche 911 Cabriolet with Avila as his passenger.
According to Richmond RCMP, the Porsche was struck from behind by a black 2008 Mercedes-Benz, which caused Taylor and Avila’s vehicle to “veer off-road and go airborne before striking a tree.”
Investigators said the driver of the Mercedes was a 24-year-old Vancouver man, and that alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash.
Mora said an RCMP investigator had been in touch with Avila’s family in Costa Rica. Richmond RCMP Staff Sgt. Dan Seibel said the driver of the Porsche remained in critical condition in hospital.
Avila, who was divorced, worked as a teacher and lived with an uncle and her 11-yearold daughter in San Rafael. Family members are caring for her daughter.
“She was a really wonderful woman. She loves to travel, run a lot,” said Mora, adding Avila had plans to run a half marathon while she was in Canada.
“Loving mother, funny, very positive and enjoy life a lot — a lot of people (are) touched about her passing.”