WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The family of 24-year-old Samuel “Sammy” Rodriguez is grappling with grief days after a tragic four-vehicle crash on I-95 in Palm Beach County claimed his life to the Marine veteran.

“Heartbroken,” said his niece Alexis Guzman. “Devastated, because I could have told him so much more.”

Guzman says Rodriguez was born and raised in West Palm Beach and grew up alongside him. After Rodriguez graduated from Forest Hill High School where he participated in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program, he served as a Navy veteran for four years based in Okinawa, Japan.

“He was the strongest person I knew and the greatest person I looked up to,” Guzman said. “He was able to serve our country and it’s a great opportunity.”

The Rodriguez family hopes he will be remembered for that and more. It is said that he loved reading, watching anime, and spending time with his loved ones.

Jackson Gaylor, WPTV

“Full of life and wherever he would go, he would always have a big smile on his face,” Guzman said.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that Rodriguez was standing next to his car in the center lane when another vehicle struck him. Guzman believes his vehicle may not have been running and Rodriguez was looking for somewhere safe.

His brother, Oscar Rodriguez Jr., remembers the moments he discovered the tragedy.

“I didn’t believe it. No, no, not my little brother, no,” Rodriguez said. “He was on his way to my house to find another job and I was waiting for him.”

Guzman found out while he was out of town and adds that getting home was the hardest part.

Jackson Gaylor, WPTV

“He won’t be in the same place where I last saw him,” Guzman said. “Which was sitting on the couch, laughing, playing his video games. It was the hardest we’ve ever had to go through.”

WPTV reporter Zitlali Solache asked Guzman how she was going to move forward after something like this.

“Right now, I don’t feel ready to move forward yet, but I know that with the help of everyone in my family, I feel like there is a possibility. day,” Guzman said.

The family says the signs of Sammy are already present in their lives.

“He’s at the forefront of our lives, for the rest of our lives, until we meet again,” Rodriguez said. “Everything we go through, everything we’re going to experience in our future, I feel like his presence will always be felt.

The family started a GoFundMe to reduce funeral costs. In the meantime, they are looking for a funeral home that could lay Sammy to rest on his birthday, November 18th.