Heartbroken family pick up the pieces after beloved father and son, 10, are crushed to death in horror crash with fire truck

By RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:00, 12 June 2026 | Updated: 21:09, 12 June 2026 A California family is heartbroken after a father and son were killed in a crash with a fire truck on their way to the arcade.  Arthur 'Art' Fernandez Jr, 43, was driving his 10-year-old son, Arthur III, and 5-year-old son Mikey in Riverside County when they collided with a Cal Fire engine on June 5. The fire truck was traveling northbound, responding to the Cranston Fire with its emergency lights and siren activated, and Fernandez's Mini Cooper was driving westbound, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). 'For reasons still under investigation, the two vehicles collided at the intersection,' CHP said. Fernandez died at the scene and his Arthur III, who was riding in the front passenger seat, sustained severe injuries and was transported to the hospital, where he later died.  Mikey was in the rear seat of the car and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The fire engine's driver and two other firefighters were taken to the hospital and all three were released that day, according to Cal Fire. Authorities said all three Fernandez boys were wearing seatbelts and that they do not believe alcohol or drugs were a factor. Arthur 'Art' Fernandez Jr, 43, and his 10-year-old son, Arthur III, were killed in a car crash with a fire truck Fernandez was driving his sons to the arcade when his Mini Cooper collided with a fire truck responding to the Cranston Fire A GoFundMe for Fernandez's family described him as 'an extraordinary father, brother, nephew and grandson.' 'Everything he did, every single day, was for his sons. He said it, and he stood by it; he was a father first,' the fundraiser said. 'He poured his heart and soul into being the best dad possible, leaving behind a beautiful five-year-old son who will now grow up without his father and big brother. The page added: 'This loss is immeasurable. Our family will never be the same. The sudden nature of this tragedy has left our family in a state of shock and grief. 'We are struggling to process this immense loss, and we are now faced with the unexpected burden of funeral and burial expenses.' Fernandez's aunt, Patricia Diaz, told CBS LA he had great respect for sharing the road with fire trucks.  'Knowing Arthur and knowing his experience, the respect that he had for fire trucks and fire engines, that heavy equipment, he would have stopped had he heard and seen them,' she said. 'It's a tragic, tragic accident, but for my little nephew, Mikey, he's going to be left without his dad. He's going to be missing out on a lot of experiences.' Fernandez died at the scene, Arthur Jr succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, and his 5-year-old son, Mikey (bottom) survived Fernandez's family described him as 'an extraordinary father, brother, nephew and grandson' Diaz said Fernandez was a devoted father and their family is devastated by the loss.  'My nephew and his little boys, those were his guys. That was his little gang,' she said.  'I feel like I lost a child. It's going to leave a hole in our hearts and our family.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.