SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A grieving family is searching for answers after a devastating tanker explosion on I-90 left one person dead, with authorities yet to confirm the victim’s identity. Kimberly Martinez, the wife of Robert Martinez, believes the man she loved and shared a life with for five years is the person who tragically lost his life in the crash.
Kimberly and Robert, who met online and married five years ago, had built a life together. Kimberly says Robert was a funny, kind and selfless man who loved his family. She says she could always count on him being home when she would get off work. But one day he never came back.
"We were texting that morning about the road conditions," Kimberly recalls. "I told him to be careful, and he texted me back saying he was slowing down. He was always a careful driver."
Little did she know, it would be one of the last conversations they would have.
Later that afternoon, Kimberly received an unexpected call from her husband's employer from Cougar Den Fueling.
"I knew something was wrong. Why would they be calling me?" she said.
The caller informed her that there had been an accident on I-90 involving a tanker truck and that they were "99 percent sure" Robert was the driver involved in the crash.
"I tried calling him. I kept texting him. I thought, what if they’re wrong? What if there’s been a mistake?" she says.
Authorities have not yet fully identified the victim due to the lack of DNA at the scene, but the Martinez family has conducted their own investigation. According to Kimberly, Robert’s phone last pinged near the site of the crash, and his employer confirmed that he was the only truck in that area.
"I just kept thinking, ‘Be home tonight. If it was a mistake, he would find a way to contact me,’" she said.
Despite the uncertainty, the family has chosen to focus on Robert’s legacy and what he meant to those who loved him. Robert's son, Gavin Martinez, spoke about the profound impact his father had on his life.
"This is the longest I’ve gone without talking to him," Gavin said. "I just miss him. I miss his voice.
While the Martinez family faces an agonizing wait for official confirmation, they have been vocal about who Robert was beyond the tragedy.
"He was my everything," Kimberly said. "I’m just very, very blessed to have had him in my life."
Washington State Patrol has confirmed that DNA results are still pending to officially identify the driver of the tanker truck. Authorities say the results should be finalized in the coming weeks. They hope to do that by matching the victim's DNA to Robert's son.
In the meantime, the Martinez family is holding onto the memories of a man who brought joy and love into their lives.
A family friend of the Martinez family set up a GoFundMe page to help the family focus on healing while they grieve.