Joe Harker
A survivor of a horrific car crash that killed her boyfriend and their dog has spoken about her final words to him before tragedy struck.
Last week (19 January) San Francisco woman Linh Luu, her boyfriend Misha Romanenko and their dog Keeper were in the car so they could pick up her aunt and grandmother to take them to the airport.
Sadly, just after 6.00pm local time the emergency services responded to a call about a car crash involving seven vehicles and eight people, and according to ABC 7 a black Tesla reportedly travelling at 98mph crashed into a number of other vehicles including an autonomous car.
One of the cars involved in the collision was the one in which Luu, Romanenko and Keeper were driving in.
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Luu was hospitalised with multiple broken bones, but Misha and their dog did not survive the crash.
Speaking to ABC 7 from hospital, Luu explained that her memories of exactly what happened on the night were hazy but that she vividly remembered the final exchange she had with her boyfriend moments before the crash occurred.
She said: "I don't understand why it happened the way it did, and I don't know how I'm alive. Honestly, I want to trade places with him. He had such a purpose in this world.
"I remember looking over to him and saying, 'I love you,' and him saying, 'I love you too,' back to me.
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"It was just one moment after that I was being wheeled into different rooms."
She said she also remembered a 'flashback' of being in the car with Misha 'when I was back in the car and he was motionless', saying that she tried to speak to him but he was 'motionless'.
Police have arrested a 66-year-old man, with blood alcohol tests indicating he did not have alcohol in his system.
The man told investigators that he had been attempting to apply the brakes on his car but claimed his Tesla did not slow down or stop.
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Luu told ABC that she wants 'to know exactly what happened', and for people to remember Misha for his kindness.
"He was just so much joy being around him," she said.
"Anyone who crossed paths with him in his life would definitely have a story or two about how he made them laugh, how he put a smile on their face."
She told people to 'hug your loved ones' and 'tell them you love them'.