Fil-Am couple dies in Michigan car crash, leaves behind 6 kids

NEW YORK, United States — A Filipino-American couple tragically lost their lives and left behind six children after their SUV was hit head-on by a speeding pickup truck fleeing a police pursuit operation in Michigan.

Michigan Police said they were pursuing a stolen pickup truck driven by one Angel Melendez-Ortiz, 35, when the suspect drove against the flow of traffic and slammed the vehicle carrying Ryan and Jen Ambrosio, who were on their way home from a dinner date.

The pickup truck, running without lights, was reported to be traveling at speeds exceeding 100kph before colliding with the Ambrosio couple's SUV. 

The impact was so severe that the SUV was crushed, resulting in the couple's immediate death, reports said.

Melendez-Ortiz is currently in the hospital and will be facing multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder. 

In a statement, county prosecutor Karen McDonald expressed her intent to impose the most severe penalties against the suspect, emphasizing the senselessness of the deaths and the commitment to justice for the victims and their family.

"These are senseless deaths, and I have authorized the highest possible charges for this crime. We will pursue justice for these victims and their entire family, including their young children, and we will hold this defendant accountable," McDonald said.

The Ambrosio couple left behind six children aged 2 to 9. In response, relatives and friends have initiated a GoFundMe campaign to support the orphaned children. 

Meanwhile, the suspect awaits a lifetime imprisonment sentence as legal proceedings unfold. —KBK, GMA Integrated News