Family, community mourn Le Grand mother killed in crash

Although a Le Grand home on Madison Street has been filled for the past week with family members, they say there is a sense of absence. The loss of 38-year-old Tonya Lane has left a “hole” in the family.

On the morning of Feb. 15, Lane was driving her Chevrolet Cavalier on Highway 140 when it crashed west of Orchard Drive, just east of Merced. The Los Banos native was pronounced dead at the scene, and her 3-year-old twin boys suffered minor injuries.

The twins, Salvador Jr. and Santiago, were released from Doctors Medical Center in Modesto the same day with bruises and scratches, said Adalia Vargas, the boys’ aunt.

The boys look at a photo of their mother placed in the living room near candles and flowers and say “mama,” she said. “But (they) haven’t tried looking for her.”

The boys touch the bumps on their heads and say “mama,” she said, and Salvador Jr. has stood in front of the picture and talked to his mom.

“She was joyful, and so energetic and caring,” Adalia Vargas said. “We miss most her friendship, company and love.”

One of the family’s pet Chihuahuas also died in the crash, said 36-year-old Salvador Vargas, Lane’s longtime partner and father of the twins.

“That morning, I didn’t know where she was going,” he said.

He doesn’t know of any appointments scheduled that morning. What caused her car to crash is unknown, he said, speculating there may have been a mechanical malfunction or she swerved to avoid an animal. Investigators with the California Highway Patrol have yet to determine a cause, he said.

The father said he suspects Lane may have been taking the boys out to breakfast.

“That’s the only explanation I got because it was too early in the morning,” he said. “This has hit me a little harder because it’s the first person I’ve ever known to pass away in a (car) accident.”

“It happened from one day to the next and I don’t know why this happened. The sad part is her uncle passed away on Saturday. Her family is taking it pretty hard right now.”

Though Lane and Vargas were not legally married, they considered themselves husband and wife, said Rosa Vargas, Salvador Vargas’ sister.

Vargas recalled that he met Lane in 2008 through a friend. He knew quickly he was in love, but he lost contact with her for a year. After they saw each other again in 2009, “we never separated.”

“We got real close,” he said. “I liked everything about her.”

For their first date, they went to Monterey. Lane loved going to the beach and “liked animals a lot.” She enjoyed going to zoos, aquariums and doing outdoor activities.

“We used to do stuff like that with the kids,” he said.

Adalia Vargas described Lane as a good mother who dedicated herself to the boys, especially after Salvador Jr. was diagnosed last March with a cancerous mass in his lung.

The boy had surgery a month later and Lane took him to Valley Children’s Hospital three times a week for chemotherapy. As of now, his health has been improving, she said.

Lane was studying to become baptized in the Catholic church, a step necessary before the couple could be married, Adalia Vargas said.

“She’s going to be missed,” said Rosa Vargas. “It’s like a hole; something is missing. It’s going to be hard seeing my brother. It’s hard to see him at night when he’s going to bed. Where’s his other half? Where’s his partner?”

Lane was always laughing, doing activities outdoors and helping people whenever she could, Rosa Vargas said. That’s how they will remember her, she said, “always standing around helping, saying ‘I’ll get it.’ ”

A viewing and rosary Mass will be held Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home. A funeral service is set for Monday at Our Lady of Lourdes in Le Grand.

Anyone who knew Lane is welcome to attend, the family said.

Salvador Vargas expressed his gratitude to those who have helped his family by bringing food, and diapers and clothes for the kids.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Family, community mourn Le Grand mother killed in crash."