Nemesio Isorena’s smile is what his family says they will always remember most about him.
The man died a day before his 63rd birthday on Halloween night after he was hit by a SamTrans bus in South San Francisco.
“We were actually going to celebrate his birthday,” his niece Alyssa Isorena said. “Like he was getting ready for that. Maybe he was going to buy something at Trader Joe’s for his birthday.”
Nemesio was not married and had no children, but was loved by his siblings, nephews and nieces. He also recently became a naturalized United States citizen – a proud American. The family has opened up a GoFundMe account to help pay for funeral services.
Family members also are waiting for more answers to answers on what happened the night of his death.
“We really don’t know what happened to him,” Alyssa said. “We’re still looking for answers.”
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office deferred NBC Bay Area to SamTrans when seeking comment on Nemesio’s death.
SamTrans issued the following statement Friday:
“We are sending our deepest sympathies and most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Isorena, who was fatally injured in an incident involving a SamTrans bus on October 31. We have reached out to the family to see how we can assist them “During this very difficult time. The safety of our community members, passengers and employees is always our top priority, so anytime an incident of this nature occurs, we are deeply concerned. We are currently working with all respective law enforcement and safety agencies regarding the incident, and in light of these pending investigations, we cannot provide any additional details.”
Meanwhile, the family continues trying to heal.
“We really don’t know what happened and it’s really hard for us to think about it,” Alyssa said. “We still can’t believe this happened. I’m still waiting for him to come home. But he’s never going to be here.”
