Nichole Cortez: Single mother-of-five dies in tragic hit-and-run crash days before Christmas
PEORIA, ARIZONA: An Arizona family was devastated to find out that their mother had lost her life in a hit-and-run crash just days before Christmas. Nichole Cortez was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the Loop 101 off-ramp on Monday, December 19, at Peoria Avenue. The driver responsible is still at large.
“That’s what hurts the most. This person just drove off like she was just a piece of trash,” Anthony Cortez, Nichole Cortez’s father, said, according to WBTV. Anthony Cortez said that losing his daughter makes him feel empty about Christmas. “It’s totally affected our family. And especially at Christmas time. It’s making it very difficult to try to do Christmas, we’re just days away,” he said. The father said that Nichole tragically lost her life while she was returning home from her job with a cleaning service.
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“The car overheated. She tried to pull over but didn’t exactly make it as the car was kind of in the middle of the lane,” Anthony Cortez said. “She got out with the door open, and somebody came by and hit the other side that hit her. She flew about 50 feet.” Her father said she picked up extra night shifts to pay for the presents for her five kids. “She was so stressed out about getting her children Christmas presents. We’re all kind of struggling a bit. So, she’s been trying to earn extra money,” Anthony Cortez said.
Anthony Cortez said his daughter adored her kids and had recently gone shopping. “Presents were found in her car. She loved her children. She was a single mom, trying to do her best for her children. She would do anything for anybody,” Anthony Cortez said. The car at the crash site on Monday was described as a 2010-2014 Dodge Challenger with a damaged front, according to the authorities.
The heartbroken family is now hoping for the person to turn themselves in and accept his punishment, saying justice will help the family get closure. “I really want them to be caught. How someone can just hit somebody on the side of the road and leave them is beyond me,” he said. “I’m hoping and praying that she [Nichole] wasn’t on the side of the road suffering.” The family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.
