Parents remember son killed in SF crash with truck that sent car off overpass: 'Gentle giant'

SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The parents of a 17-year-old boy killed in a crash on Interstate 80 in San Francisco last weekend are speaking publicly for the first time about the loss of their son, who they say had been pursuing his dreams just days before the crash.

Lenin Homer Silva, known as "Len" to his family, had just graduated from Hillsdale High School in San Mateo and committed to playing soccer for Skyline College in San Bruno.

Over the years, they say he played for at least a dozen teams, most recently the San Francisco Seals.

"The beginning and end of his world was sports," his parents said. "He graduated and he was going to college and he it was his dream to play soccer in college and that he was going to do all of those things."

A photo taken May 28 at Hillsdale High School captured Silva celebrating his graduation.

PREVIOUS STORY: Teen killed, 3 others hurt in SF I-80 crash with Recology truck that sent car off overpass: CHP

The next day, Friday, he was out in San Francisco with classmates.

His mother said she checked in with him shortly before the crash.

"I texted him a bit, and was like are you are you guys coming home? And he responded and, and I saw the car moving right at one o'clock in the morning, getting on the freeway, so I was like okay he's, he's fine," she said.

Around 1:30 a.m. on May 30, the California Highway Patrol says the 18-year-old driver collided with a truck before the car went off the roadway falling about 25 feet into an impound lot below.

The driver and front seat passenger were not seriously injured.

Silva died at the scene and the other backseat passenger remains in critical condition.

CHP is continuing to investigate the crash, one of the things they say they're looking at, is speed.

"I'm still thinking it's a mistake that the hospital lady did not understand that it wasn't my son and I was like he's just gonna call me back and confirm that it was not our son," his parent said.

In the days since, his parents Sue Homer and Paula Silva say they have struggled to process the loss.

"We miss him so much. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I swear every day I wake up and just expect Len to come bopping through my door which he did every morning," they said.

They added that messages from friends and loved ones have highlighted the impact he had on those around him. "I have been reading like testimony after testimony his friends about what a great kid he was," they said.

"The adults in his life, his teachers, his bosses at the bakery, the counselors at school, his coaches all just really adored Lenin. He was a sweet kid with a big heart. Somebody just described him as a gentle giant."

The family plans to hold a private celebration of life to honor what they described as their kind and adventurous son as they continue to hope for the other passenger's recovery. "These kids lives will never be the same," they said.