Josiah Santos GoFundMe raises over $32000 as mom of U and A student killed in crash advocates for pedestrian safety

A GoFundMe campaign established in honor of Josiah Patrick Santos, a University of Arizona student, has raised more than $32,000 as mourning families call for improvements in pedestrian safety measures following a heartbreaking crash near the Tucson campus that killed three young people.

On the evening of October 30, 2025, Santos, 22, and his girlfriend Sophia Akimi Troetel, 21, were struck and killed by a speeding vehicle while crossing a marked crosswalk at North Euclid Avenue and East Second Street, an area used extensively by students and residents.

Louis John Artal charged in fatal Porsche Boxster hit-and-run deaths of University of Arizona students Sophia Akimi Troetel, Josiah Patrick Santos, and Rosaura Castillo Mendozahttps://t.co/uoFFGuJik5

— Kofi Kesia (@KKesia25950) November 2, 2025

A third pedestrian, Katya Castillo-Mendoza was seriously injured and removed from life support the next day. In the days after the tragedy, a GoFundMe campaign established by Santos’s family received attention and support from the local community and beyond.

Mathia Santos, Josiah’s sister, organized the fundraiser, honoring him as “a bright light who brought joy, laughter, and love wherever he went,” and honoring Sophia as “a beautiful soul with a radiant smile.”

"The world feels dimmer without their light. Please keep our family, and Sophia’s, in your thoughts and prayers as we try to find our way through this heartbreak," she added.

Santos' family, together with the families of Troetel and Castillo-Mendoza, are now calling on the city to take immediate action to enhance pedestrian safety in the area. In a statement to the Arizona Daily Star, his mother Andrea Santos highlighted that the issue is more than just this single tragedy.

"This is about a community that has cried out for safety in this area — a community that has lost too much, too often, to preventable tragedy. We call on city leaders to act now, before more families suffer," she said.

More about the accident which killed Josiah Patrick Santos and his girlfriend as community protests against road safety

As indicated by the Tucson Police Department, the car in question, a 2019 Porsche Boxster was purportedly operated by 19-year-old Louis John Artal who fled but later handed himself into the authorities.

According to police, Artal was operating his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and exceeding the 30 mile per hour speed limit. He has been charged with, but not limited to, two counts of second degree murder, aggravated assault, and leaving the scene of the fatal accident.

A petition posted online for a HAWK (High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk) signal at the intersection of Euclid and Second Street has now garnered over 4,800 signatures. The petition states that flashing beacons have been installed in over 130 locations in Tucson and federal safety studies have shown that the flashing beacons reduce pedestrian crashes by 70%.

Community members have similarly expressed concerns over the intersection and referred to it as notoriously dangerous. One resident simply stated, "this tragedy could’ve been avoided with the help of a traffic light."

As families mourn, their advocacy is transforming grief into action, seeking accountability, awareness, and sustained change. "We refuse to be silent," said Andrea Santos. The GoFundMe for Josiah's family is still active, and donations continue to come in as the Tucson community stands with the victims' families and the call for safer roads.