Myrta Fariza is the second American to die of the 79 people killed in the crash. The Fariza family says they are heartbroken and did not want to talk on camera, but they did release a statement Sunday, expressing their grief and revealing their strong faith.
"Myrta was our loving wife, mother, sister, mother-in-law, aunt and friend and words cannot express our sense of loss. To all who knew her, Myrta provided irreplaceable love, compassion, courage, friendship and support. We will miss her dearly," the statement read. "It is in times like these that we lean on our family, our friends, our faith and our community. With grateful hearts, we send sincerest appreciation to everybody for their tremendous love, support and prayers during this very difficult time. We ask that you continue to keep Myrta and the many others who have been impacted by the terrible train tragedy in your prayers."
Family members say Fariza was with her husband, Robert, when the passenger train crashed Wednesday night in Santiago de Compostela.
The 58-year-old lived in the Houston area for 35 years. The couple went to Rome for their daughter's wedding and then went to spend time in Spain for a religious festival.
The couple was in the seventh of eight cars when the train hurtled far over the 50-mph speed limit into a high-risk curve, tumbling off the tracks and slamming into a concrete wall. Fariza suffered severe head injuries, and her husband is recovering from minor injuries.
According to the Associated Press, the driver of the train has been provisionally charged with multiple cases of negligent homicide. There were a total of 218 passengers on board.
Investigators are looking over the train's black box, similar to what is found on an aircraft. The crash remains under investigation.
If you're interested in donating to the Fariza family, you can do so through their Facebook page or at their youcaring.com page.
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