NASCAR champion Greg Biffle’s wife, Cristina, sent a heartbreaking final message moments before the plane crash that killed their family and three others, according to her grieving mother.
Cristina Grossu Biffle texted her mother, Cathy Grossu, shortly before the aircraft went down on Thursday, December 18, delivering a chilling warning from onboard. “We’re in trouble,” the message read, according to Cathy.
“She texted me from the plane and she said, ‘We’re in trouble,’ and that was it,” Cathy old PEOPLE. “So we’re devastated. We’re brokenhearted.”
The crash claimed the lives of seven people: Greg Biffle, 55; Cristina; their 5-year-old son Ryder; Greg’s daughter Emma, 14, whom he shared with ex-wife Nicole Lunders; family friends Dennis Dutton and his son Jack; and Craig Wadsworth.
According to Cathy, the group had been traveling for what was meant to be a joyful birthday trip in Florida. Instead, the outing ended in unimaginable tragedy.
Greg Biffle and wife Cristina with their 2 kids in February 2022. Credit: Cristina Grossu Biffle/Instagram.
“To think that they would be killed on a birthday trip, something that was supposed to be so fun and special for the family, and to see the horrific way that it ended, it’s just so hard to bear,” Cathy said. “I cannot believe they’re gone.”
Just one day before the crash, Cristina and Greg had visited Cathy at her home. She recalls hugging them but says the memory of not knowing her final words to her daughter will stay with her forever.
“I don’t remember what the last words were that I said to my daughter or to Greg or to my precious Ryder,” she said. “I know we hugged. They were happy. But not remembering those last words is going to haunt me.”
Cathy described her grandson Ryder, step-granddaughter Emma, and Greg as people full of life, kindness, and purpose.
“They embraced every moment,” she said. “They were doing so many good things. They touched so many people’s lives, and the loss is unbearable.”
One of Cathy’s final conversations with Cristina centered on an act of generosity that perfectly captured who she was. Cristina had been organizing Santa letters for families in need – something she often funded herself.
“She said, ‘Mom, can you go pick up the last 17 letters at Staples? I want to get them mailed before I get on the plane,’” Cathy recalled. “She finished them all that night. That was the last thing she did – bringing joy to other families.”
Cristina’s friend Erica Zangwill echoed that sentiment, describing her as someone who always put others first. “She had the biggest heart,” Zangwill said. “She was one in a million.”
Greg and Cristina Biffle with their kids. Credit: Greg Biffle/Instagram
The victims were initially unnamed following the crash, but family friend Rep. Richard Hudson later confirmed the Biffle family’s deaths in a statement on X.
“They lived their lives focused on helping others,” Hudson wrote. “Greg thrilled millions as a NASCAR champion, but he will be remembered just as much for his kindness and service.”
In a joint statement, the families of the Biffles, Duttons, and Wadsworths said they were “heartbroken beyond words”, asking for privacy as they grieve an unimaginable loss.