After a car plunged 300 feet off the Highway 1 Devil’s Slide area last Friday, we’re now learning that the two women killed were US Army veterans, and a third man killed was a military interpreter.
When news broke on Friday that a car had flown off a cliff on the Devil’s Slide area on Highway 1 in San Mateo, initial reports were that two victims were found dead at the scene, and another man’s body was found nearby. We now know that all three were passengers in the same vehicle, and the male was driving. This information comes in KRON4’s report on the identity of all three victims; two women who were US Army veterans, and a man who had been an interpreter for the US military.
The two women were Brylyn Aroma (36 years old) of Fort Riley, Kansas, and Angelica Gacho (28). The male victim was Mohammad Noory (29). Both Noory and Gaucho were reportedly South San Francisco residents.
“Brylyn Andulan Aroma served as a 68W Combat Medic Specialist in the Regular Army from July 2021 to July 2024,” Army spokesperson Jefferson Grimes told KRON4. “She was assigned to Fort Riley, KS, starting on October 16, 2022, and held the rank of Specialist at the end of her service. Her awards include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Brylyn, a Big Red One Soldier, teammate, and friend.”
Gacho’s untimely death brought similar tributes.
“Angelica Rafael Gacho served as a 92W (Water Treatment Specialist) in the Regular Army from May 2021 to October 2023. She held the rank of specialist,” another Army spokesperson, Christopher Surridge, said in a statement to KRON4. “Her awards include two Army Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon.”
According to a GoFundMe for Mohammad Noory, the male victim, he worked for the US military as an interpreter in Afghanistan. “Noory achieved Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) for his faithful services to the U.S. Military in Afghanistan,” the GoFundMe says. “He immigrated to the U.S.A. in 2021 to provide a better future for himself and his family.” That post also indicates Noory may have been driving for Uber at the time of the crash.
Related: Car Flies Off Cliff Near Devil's Slide On Highway 1 [SFist]
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