Family of motorcyclists killed in Santa Cruz Mountains crash seeks answers
The couple's daughter identified the pair as Ernest Latta, 61, and Lisa Latta, 59.
'They were opposites, but they were the best pair,' Christina Gonzales Latta said of her parents. 'They were like French fries and ice cream.'
She added: 'The love they had was the strongest I've ever known.'
The couple was riding a Harley-Davidson south on Highway 9, south of Highway 35, around 4:45 p.m. when the motorcycle and a northbound Tesla Model 3 collided head-on, the California Highway Patrol said. The impact threw the couple onto the road, where they died.
The Tesla driver, an 18-year-old San Jose woman, was not injured, the CHP said.
As of Wednesday, no one was arrested and the crash remained under investigation, the CHP said. The agency released few other details.
Gonzales Latta described her step-father as an avid motorcyclist who prioritized safety, especially with her mom on the bike. 'He's a protector,' Gonzales Latta said.
For that reason, Gonzales Latta suspects the Tesla driver was at fault, she said, adding that she wonders whether the driver was texting or speeding.
'I don't know why my mom and dad are gone,' she said. 'It's very hard.'
She said she believes her parents, who were together for 40 years, were headed to Santa Cruz to eat at a nice restaurant. The couple commonly rode to coastal cities on weekends. With a shared love for the ocean, Santa Cruz and Monterey were among their favorite destinations, Gonzales Latta said.
She remembered her step-father as a quiet, humble, intelligent and adventurous man. Her mother was loud, thoughtful and caring, she said.
Lisa Latta had her when she was 17. 'We grew up together,' Gonzales Latta said.
The couple met in San Jose when Gonzales Latta was 2 after her mother relocated from Staten Island in search of a better life for Gonzales Latta and her brother. Their family later grew when Ernest and Lisa Latta had a son.
Gonzales Latta said something felt wrong Saturday after her parents did not come home to pick up their 7-month-old Yorkie, named Arlington. Concerned for her parents, Gonzales Latta called hospitals across the Bay Area. It wasn't until authorities called her and referred her to the Santa Cruz County coroner the next day that she learned the tragic news.
She said she hopes for justice for her parents. For now, she feels a sense of peace because 'they're always going to be together now,' she said.
As for Arlington, Lisa Latta's brother took him in. 'For him, that's a piece of her,' Gonzales Latta said.
The family created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for funeral expenses. Gonzales Latta said her immediate priority was to make arrangements for her parents' funeral. 'After I lay my parents to rest,' she said, 'I need answers.'
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