‘My niece and nephew are now orphans’: Parents killed in West Sacramento head-on crash
A married couple died this week in a head-on vehicle crash in West Sacramento as they were driving home with their two children, police officials confirmed Wednesday.
The fatal crash occurred about 11:30 p.m. Monday on Jefferson Boulevard, between Gateway and Locks drives.
The West Sacramento Police Department on Wednesday confirmed that the mother and father died in the crash driving home with their two children.
The West Sacramento parents were pronounced dead at the scene. Their children were injured and taken to a hospital.
“With our tight knit community, understandably, there are questions regarding the circumstances, and family involved,” police officials said in a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon. “The collision is currently being investigated by the West Sacramento Police Department Traffic Unit, and the names of the involved parties are being withheld at this time due to the ongoing investigation.”
The couple’s family on Wednesday released their names in a public statement. Rasul Afzili and his wife, Anila Afzili, died in the crash while driving from his mother’s home. The couple had been there to celebrate the father’s birthday, according to the family’s written statement.
Also in the vehicle that night were the couple’s children, 3-year-old Jannah and 7-month-old Azaan. The couple’s family said Jannah remained hospitalized as of Wednesday evening, and Azaan had been treated and released from the hospital. The children were staying with a relative.
Sgt. Eric Angle, a West Sacramento police spokesman, said that the driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash was injured and hospitalized. He said that driver had not been arrested as of Wednesday evening.
Angle said the initial investigation indicates that alcohol or drugs might have been a factor in the crash, but that had not been determined and is pending toxicology results. Police did not release any further details about how the crash occurred.
The couple’s family said that they believe the driver in the other vehicle was intoxicated when the crash occurred.
“My family is grieving and heartbroken over the loss of my brother and sister-in-law because someone chose to be irresponsible and selfish,” Naeema Afzili, Rasul’s sister, said in the family’s statement. “My niece and nephew are now orphans because somebody chose to get behind a wheel after drinking.”
Nicole Curran, a neighbor and family friend, said the family has created a GoFundMe online fundraiser to help the couple’s relatives care for their two children.
“They want the community to know that Rasul and Anila were the most amazing parents to their two beautiful children,” Curran said in the family’s statement. “They loved their children very much and will be greatly missed.”
