Father & Husband who lived 18 years apart from his family killed in a car crash right after reuniting with wife
By JamieFlower
For close to two decades, Roy Thomas worked very hard in order to make a good living so that he could fulfill his one and only dream—bringing his family to America so they could all live together. Roy worked hard and stayed apart from his family for 18 years to finally make that dream come true. But before the father-of-three could fully relish the feeling of staying with his family, Roy lost his life in a fatal car crash in Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday, August 24.
"Roy immigrated to the US in 2003 and hesitantly left his family behind in India to secure a better future for them. Roy was the breadwinner of the family working for daily wages," said a GoFundMe page set up for the family. "Roy was a hardworking, family man who worked night and day to achieve his dream of once again living together with his family in this land."
"He lived away from his family for 18 years long in the US and was finally able to bring his wife to the US, just 2 weeks before the incident," the message on the fundraiser continued.
Source: GoFundMe
The 55-year-old father also arranged Canadian students visas for two of his children and planned for them to eventually join them in the US.
After making several arrangements, "Roy was able to secure a hotel accommodation for his wife for the time being and was in the process of finding a home to share with his beloved and looking forward for the rest of his life to spend with his family," the fundraiser said. Unfortunately, the devastating accident took place before Roy could see any of his cherished plans bear fruit.
Source: GoFundMe
At the time of the crash, Roy was reportedly driving a box truck at a high speed and rammed into the rear end of a tractor-trailer. A statement released by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said that Roy was pronounced dead a little after 3 am, according to PEOPLE. Details provided by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office also revealed that the driver of the tractor-trailer was present at the scene. Currently, investigations into the accident are still going on, and nobody has been charged so far.
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According to the GoFundMe fundraiser, Roy's devastated family will be laying him to rest on September 2, 2021.
Reena Mathen, the family friend who set up the fundraiser, wrote: "His dreams of living and being together with his family in the US came to an end. The family is devastated and is still coming to terms with what has happened. I am setting up this fund on behalf of his family so that his wife and kids can pick up the pieces and have some financial help for the funeral and as well as for any other life expenses they may encounter. Please feel free to contribute for the grieving family, as it will alleviate some of the financial burden."
So far, the fundraiser has crossed the goal of $100,000 and raised $103,011.
Cover image source: GoFundMe
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