The loss of his wife and the mother of his children is heartrending for Travis Nunes. The difficulty of watching his son – fighting for his life – is agonizing.“I can't put it into words. There's no words,” Nunes said. “Just pure loss and devastation-- and emptiness.”Nunes is now left grappling with both realities after his wife Ashlee Rhodes, 33, was killed and their son, Easton, 4, was severely injured when a train collided with their car earlier this week in Lincoln. “The 26th was the day,” said Nunes. “I know that because it's my daughter's birthday.”After spending the early part of the day together as a family at the pumpkin patch, celebrating his daughter’s birthday, Nunes and his daughter had gone home.Rhodes and their son went to pick up some dinner.After a while, when she didn't make it home, Nunes retraced the path she would've driven — coming upon the crash site where an officer gave him the tragic news about his loved ones.“He said I regret to inform you that she passed away,” Nunes explained. “A train hit her.”The Lincoln Police Department said Rhodes’ car was traveling westbound over the railroad crossing when it was hit and pushed by the train traveling northbound on the tracks.Investigators tell KCRA 3 they're still working to develop a complete picture of how the crash happened.KCRA 3 also reached out to Union Pacific to ask about the train crossing at the intersection where the crash happened.In a statement, the railroad said, "Our initial investigation shows the gates were functioning as intended and were lowered at the time of the incident."Meanwhile, Nunes is staying at his son's bedside at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.“I've been here ever since. Other than going home earlier today to inform my daughter that my wife is dead,” Nunes said Thursday, three days after the crash.Easton's injuries are extensive. According to a GoFundMe page created by a family member to help offset medical costs, the child is being treated for two broken femurs, lung contusions, and a partially-collapsed lung.Nunes said his son is making progress and that doctors believe the child will survive.“He's clearly in a lot of pain, but, yeah. We're all broken,” he said.The hardest part is thinking about his wife.“I know that's she's looking down now, just, she's so devastated that she doesn't get to touch her children's face, kiss them, and just, raise them,” he said. Heartbroken, Nunes knows he'll have to try to move forward, even though she's gone.“She would definitely want me to pick up where she left off, which, those are huge, huge shoes to fill,” Nunes said. “I'm nervous, but I'm gonna do my best to honor her and just do what I have to do.”