Family, friends start fundraiser for car crash victim

GLENDALE HEIGHTS – Adam Villanueva and his older brother, Brandon, were inseparable. Born on the same day, but two years apart, the brothers would usually spend their birthdays together competing in baseball tournaments.

But, Adam’s May 27 birthday would be his last.

The Glendale Heights teenager was killed in a car crash June 25 in Iowa County, Wisc., after the SUV he had been driving was struck by a semitrailer.

Adam, who turned 19 in May, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Brandon feels like he’s lost an appendage. They were very close, like twins,” said they boys' mother, Angela Villanueva. “It’s hard for Brandon to talk about it. He hasn’t had time to process everything.”

Angela Villanueva said she still feels numb about her son’s death. She said she learned a lot about Adam’s personality through friends and other parents at his vigil and funeral, which was held June 28.

“Having the chance to spend time with the people he touched has touched me tremendously,” said Angela Villanueva. “There was a commonality on how Adam made them feel important, managed to find time for them and encouraged them to be all they can be.”

In 2013, Adam graduated from Glenbard North High School, 990 Kuhn Road in Carol Stream.

His mother said he was getting ready to start his sophomore year at Illinois Benedictine University with a major in business with science applications.

Robin Picart, Adam’s former high school classmate, said she grew up with Adam and attended school with him since Kindergarten.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say that Adam was a genuinely kind guy,” said Picart. “There’s absolutely nothing bad you could ever say about him. People like that are hard to come across.”

Picart said it was unfortunate the accident happened, and that it’s taken a toll on everyone, including families, friends, classmates, baseball players and everyone who grew up with him.

Jen Colburn, another former high school classmate, created a fundraising page called Rest in Paradise Adam on GoFundMe.com to help his family pay for the funeral costs.

So far, the page has received $5,563 in donations and has a goal of reaching $10,000.

Colburn said she had a class with Adam and his friend Karen Martinez, who was the passenger in the SUV when the accident occurred. She added Adam and Karen were good friends.

The Martinez family declined to comment for this story.

“I made the page to help out Adam’s family. Knowing how much Adam meant to Karen and vice versa, it was the right thing to do,” said Colburn.

The high school classmate said she posted the link to the fundraising page on a Facebook group page called, Let’s Do Something for Adam. Colburn added she also posted the link to her Facebook page and to her high school group page.

“With one link accessible online through Facebook, everyone was able to share it and get the word out,” she said.

Angela said a variety of people have been donating to the fundraising page, including school friends, parents and former teammates. She added Adam would always tell his friends to "go get what you’re made of."

“I think his legacy is paying it forward and respecting yourself for who you can be,” she said. “He didn’t believe in complacency or mediocrity.”