What was meant to be a romantic evening turned into a nightmare for Carmen Gonzalez, who is now left grappling with the devastating loss of her partner, 65-year-old Richard Boerger.
The couple, who had spent the past eight years rebuilding their lives together after personal tragedies, had no idea their Valentine’s Day walk would be their last.
On the evening of February 14, Gonzalez and Boerger were strolling hand in hand through their Covina neighborhood in California, cherishing the simple joy of being together.
As they walked along the 830 block of West Edna Place around 7:30 p.m., tragedy struck—literally.
”I didn’t see any lights, I didn’t hear any noise that would alert that there’s a car behind me,” Gonzalez told ABC7. ”The next thing I know is that his voice stopped.”
In an instant, everything changed. A vehicle barreled toward them, striking both.
Boerger was thrown into the curb, his head colliding violently with the concrete. Gonzalez lost consciousness on impact. When she came to, the horrific reality unfolded before her eyes.
”I looked back and I see his head against the curb and severe head injury,” she said.
Was going to be a grandpa
Boerger, the man she called the love of her life, lay mortally wounded. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital, but the injuries were too severe.
He was pronounced dead shortly after.
The driver, whose identity has not been publicly released, remained at the scene.
According to ABC7, authorities are investigating the incident, but Gonzalez is left with more questions than answers.
”I’m heartbroken. This person I loved so much. He was my partner and we had a lot of goals for our future,” she shared through tears. ”He was going to be a grandfather next month.”
Their love story was one of resilience.
Both had suffered immense losses before finding each other — Boerger had lost his wife and daughter, while Gonzalez had endured the pain of losing her own daughter in a car accident. Together, they found solace in each other, building a life filled with love, travel, and quiet moments like the walk they took that fateful night.
Now, Gonzalez is determined to get justice for Boerger.
”I would like a full-on investigation. I want to know why this happened,” she said.
After the tragic incident, Boerger’s sister took to Facebook and wrote a loving tribute to her brother, showing how cherished he was.
As she mourns, she hopes their story will serve as a wake-up call, a reminder that safety on the roads can mean the difference between life and death.
For Gonzalez, Valentine’s Day will never be the same — it will forever mark the day she lost the man who made her believe in love again. Rest in peace, Richard!
