LEWISTON — A local church has raised roughly $6,000 to support four young cousins whose parents were killed Nov. 19 in a crash on the Maine Turnpike in New Gloucester.
The Lion of Tribe of Judah Evangelical Church in Lewiston set up the GoFundMe fundraiser after the deaths of Papa Cristóvão Cibangu and Maria Isabel.
The children — ages 14, 13, 9 and 7 — were hurt in the crash but survived. The family lived in Lewiston.
“These precious children survived the accident but now face a future without their parents,” according to the fundraiser page. “The emotional and financial impact on the family is overwhelming.”
Cristóvão Cibangu came to Lewiston from Angola roughly three years ago with his three children, a church official said Friday. A short time later, Isabel, his sister, arrived with her child and the family lived together in a Lewiston apartment.
The church, located at 59 Sabattus St., is seeking $13,000 to cover funeral expenses and long-term care of the children.
At about 4:25 a.m. on the morning of Nov. 19, Maine State Police responded to reports of a crash near mile marker 71 on Interstate 95 south.
The investigation indicated that a GMC Acadia was towing a U-Haul trailer that became detached from the hitch and was only connected by the safety chains. That prompted the GMC driver to pull over to the right-hand shoulder, but the trailer was still partially in the roadway, state police said.
Isabel and Cristóvão Cibangu were in the GMC with the four children.
The two adults had gotten out, along with two of the children, to fix the trailer connection when an Audi SUV struck the trailer and the GMC from behind, state police said.
Isabel was pronounced dead at the scene. Cristóvão Cibangu died later at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
The driver of the Audi, a Wales man who has not been identified, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Maine Med, where he was treated and released, police said. No charges were filed immediately after the wreck.
In the aftermath of the crash, Maine State Police withheld the identities of the crash victims, citing problems finding next of kin.
Cristóvão Cibangu was known as “Macky” in the community, according to the fundraiser. Isabel often went by “Fifi.”
