3:55 pm: Emily Lopes-Fontes Silveira
Hilmar, California: Emily Lopes-Fontes Silveira celebrated her 30th birthday on June 4. Three days later the Hilmar, California, mother of 3 was stopped in traffic in her Nissan Sentra when she was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer going 53 mph. The impact hurled the Sentra into the path of a Dodge van, which smashed into the Sentra's passenger side. Silveira died instantly. The trucker told police that he might have dozed off at the wheel for a moment. He'd been on the road since 3 am. After he hit Silveira's car he continued down the road and ran into 2 more vehicles before stopping. This fatal crash was 1 of 9 that occurred that day involving a large truck. Silveira left behind 2 daughters, 10 months old and 2 years, and a 3-year-old son in addition to her husband, parents, siblings, and extended family. Joe Silveira says life since his wife's crash has been rough. He worries about their children, Anthony, now 5, Lillian, 4, and Sydney, 2. Both grandmothers live nearby, and that's been a big help with the kids, Joe Silveira says. "A mother's love to a child can't be replaced by anybody," he says. "Dads are good at some things, but they can't give a certain type of love." Joe Silveira had pillows made from pieces of Emily's clothing. He plans to give them to the kids when they get a little older.
"Emily was loved by all of us and a fantastic teacher," says principal Cheri Gibson. The school dedicated its rose garden to her. Joe and Emily grew up in the same California neighborhood and married in 1995. They waited several years before having their children so Emily could finish up coursework for her first graduate degree. She was one class away from obtaining her second master's degree when she died. Joe Silveira remembers his wife as a real go-getter, working and taking care of family and going to school. "You start your life with someone and you have your future all planned out," he says. "And then everything totally changes. It's going to be hard forever."
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When she wasn't attending to her family, Emily Silveira worked with special needs students at Don Pedro Elementary School. Having been there for nearly 5 years, she was known for her nurturing spirit and the high expectations she held for her students. 