Family mourns Hayward couple killed in head-on crash in Santa Cruz County

Family mourns Hayward couple killed in Santa Cruz County crash

Lisa Latta and her husband Ernest Latta Jr., were killed when their Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided head-on with a Tesla on Highway 9 near Highway 35 in Santa Cruz County.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - Family and loved ones are mourning the loss of a Hayward couple killed in a head-on crash over the weekend in Santa Cruz County while riding their motorcycle.

Video shows Lisa Latta, 59, and her husband, Ernest Latta Jr., 61, outside their Hayward home on Saturday, hours before the crash. They were getting ready to get onto his beloved Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

"He was making sure she was properly gloved up, and making sure she was good," said their daughter, Christina Gonzales.

CHP investigating head-on crash

What we know:

The couple were riding south on Highway 9 near Highway 35 at about 4:45 p.m. Saturday when their Harley was hit head-on by a northbound Tesla driven by an 18-year-old woman, according to the CHP. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Their children are heartbroken and want answers.

"I don't know why my parents are gone right now," Christina Gonzales said.

Her brother Vincent Gonzales said, "We just want to figure out exactly what happened, because words can't describe what they meant to us."

Lisa Latta came from New York to the Bay Area in the 1980s and met her husband when she was 17. At the time, she was renting a room from his father.

"They just fell in love - he fell in love with us first, is what she said," Christina Gonzales said.

They were married for more than 40 years. She had worked as a medical analyst, and he was an electrician. Together, they went on many rides on his Harley.

"He was a man's man, but he was also very gentle and charming and respectful. My mom, she's just everyone's mom. You can go to ‘Mama Lisa’ for anything," Christina Gonzales said.

Now the family is struggling with the loss of the two who were at the center of everything.

"Just like our foundation, it felt like it got ripped from us," said Vincent Gonzales.

Couple complimented each other

What they're saying:

The siblings say they'll miss their parents' gentle nature, which complemented Lisa Latta's New York-style irreverence.

"Growing up in Milpitas, all my friends knew her, and they all knew about my mom," Vincent Gonzales said. "She was a loudmouth, but she was one of the most loving ladies you could ever meet."

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help defray memorial costs.

Henry Lee is a KTVU reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan.