Dad Dies After Saving 2-Year-Old Daughter from Being Hit by Car: 'He Did Everything for Her'

Alonso Garcia was released from the hospital but died at his home while waiting to undergo surgery, police said

A Denver father died after saving his daughter from being hit by a car.

On Dec. 7, Alonso Garcia, 36, and his 2-year-old daughter were out walking, a relative told ABC affiliate KMGH.

“Alonso took his daughter out to get something to eat, and they were on foot. He took her in a stroller. They were walking across the crosswalk when a car came [at them] head-on," Karla Alanis, Garcia’s sister, told Fox affiliate KDVR.

According to Alanis, Garcia saw the oncoming vehicle and pushed his daughter's stroller out of the way, NBC affiliate KUSA reported. After being struck by the car himself, she said he was taken to a hospital with numerous injuries, including broken ribs and a torn ACL.

"He loved her very much," Alanis told KDVR. "He did everything for her."

According to authorities, the driver remained at the scene and was cited for careless driving that led to an injury and no proof of insurance, the outlets reported. An investigation is ongoing.

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Police said Garcia was released from the hospital but died at his home while waiting to undergo surgery, KDVR reported.

“After his injuries, he was told to await surgery at home," Alanis told the outlet. "Surgery was scheduled for two days afterwards, but he didn’t get to make it to the surgery.”

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In a message on a GoFundMe page, Alanis wrote that while he was at home, Garcia "stopped breathing."

"Family started CPR and called for an ambulance to assess the severity of the situation. Paramedics arrived on scene, they performed life-saving measure(s) for 45 minutes," his sister wrote. "Alonso would ultimately succumb to injuries."

Additional information was not immediately available and the Denver Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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As of Tuesday morning, over $7,500 has been raised to help cover funeral costs.

“We are all devastated by Alonso's loss," Alanis wrote. "We want to give Alonso the memorial he deserves, to honor his memory of him and say our last goodbyes."

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