Community rallies around brothers after parents die in crashes, 2 years apart

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - A support system consisting of family, friends and a community surrounding the Valley Center school district is rallying around two brothers whose parents died in crashes that happened exactly two years apart.

On Monday night, Guerrero Moreno Jr. died in a motorcycle crash north of Valley Center.

Two years to the day earlier, on July 27, 2024, Moreno’s wife, Erin Moreno, a teacher in the Valley Center school district, died in a crash on the Kansas Turnpike.

The GoFundMe calling for help in support of Moreno’s sons, ages 14 and 11, points out that the boys also lost a brother in the crash two years ago. Four others were hurt in that crash.

“After enduring so much loss at such a young age, they are now grieving the passing of their father as well,” the GoFundMe campaign organizer wrote on the page for the online fundraiser. “We are raising funds to help ease the financial burden left behind by this tragedy. Donations will help cover Guerrero’s funeral and memorial expenses, as well as provide support for his sons’ immediate and future needs during this difficult transition.”

Guerrero Moreno, 46, died Monday night after the crash involving his motorcycle and an SUV near 109th Street North and Meridian.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office provided the following account of what happened;

“The preliminary investigation indicates Moreno was traveling southbound on Meridian when, for reasons unknown, he entered the northbound lanes and came to rest in the roadway. The Toyota RAV4 was traveling northbound on Meridian when it struck Moreno and the motorcycle.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, the GoFundMe organized to help Moreno’s family has raised a little more than $4,200. Those wishing to contribute can do so here: Supporting Guerrero’s Sons After Tragic Loss.