Southern California father critically injured after wrong-way driver crashes into him
On Feb. 11, Raymond Naba got into his car and began driving to work.
Just after 4 a.m., a male driver traveling northbound on the southbound lanes crashed head-on with Naba's vehicle in Sherman Oaks, just south of Ventura Boulevard.
A few minutes later, the driver crashed into three additional vehicles near Valley Vista Boulevard.
The suspect was killed on impact. Naba was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. He was left with several leg and arm fractures, a fractured pelvis, a broken hip socket, broken ribs, internal bleeding, bruised lungs and more.
'He's in a lot of pain right now from his injuries from his horrible accident,' said Andria Franco, the victim's sister.
Naba lives in Bakersfield and takes a three-hour daily commute from his home to provide for his wife and five children.
'His kids are devastated and holding up the best they can,' she said. 'We just told them that their dad is fighting for his family and that he's going to pull through this.'
Naba has since undergone life-saving procedures and was in critical condition before his family confirmed he was in stable condition on Saturday night.
Franco said their family is trying to stay strong knowing Naba has a long and difficult road to recovery ahead.
'Please continue to pray for my family because my brother will be suffering for a very long time,' Franco said. 'These are life-altering surgeries that he's had to go through.'
As Naba remains hospitalized, his wife, Maria, has taken off work to remain by his side and help him recover.
His loved ones are grateful that the prognosis from doctors is promising. They're also thankful to the good Samaritans who rushed to help Naba moments after the devastating crash.
'The civilians were such wonderful angels who came to the rescue,' Franco said. 'Because without them, time is crucial, and I just want to say I'm thankful that they made it in time to take him in that small timeframe and without their help, he wouldn't be where he is,'
The suspect driver killed in the crash was later identified as Eduardo 'Lalo' Membrano. He is survived by a wife and a 3-year-old child. The circumstances behind why Membrano was driving the wrong way remain under investigation.
A GoFundMe page to help Naba's family with medical expenses can be found here. A GoFundMe for Membrano's family is linked here.
Anyone with information on the crash can call CHP West Valley at 818-888-0980 and ask to speak with Public Information Officer Sturges. After hours, the public can call the Los Angeles Communications Center at 323-259-3200
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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