Andres "Chico" Hernandez
Obituaries
Vail Daily page A6 - July 1, 2003
Gypsum man dies in rollover auto accident near Steamboat.
He was known to his friends as "Chico." To others, Andres Hernandez, 24, was a great guy who always chipped in his time.
Hernandez died Saturday in a rollover accident on a private road north of Routt County Road 6, about eight miles northwest of Toponas, near Steamboat Springs.
"He lived with us on and off for about two years," said Linda Klahr, mother of Nick Klahr, who was friends with Hernandez. "He was always flexed in the living room,. it seemed. An he always chipped in for dinner. He always chipped in for anything we needed."
Nick Klahr said Chico was his best friend, and he had been his best friend for more that seven years.
"He was a great guy," Klahr said. "He was loyal, and he worked hard at everything. He loved life, and he would do anything for anyone."
Around 12:15 a.m., Saturday, Hernandez and two other friends were traveling northbound on a private, single-lane jeep trail when a 1993 Dodge pickup truck, driven by Luke Gray, 20, swerved off the right side of the road, said Cpl. Brian Bagley of the Colorado State Patrol. The truck went down a steep embankment, rolling twice and coming to rest on its wheels.
Hernandez was ejected during the rollover and was pronounced dead at the scene, Bagley said. Gray and the second passenger, Lucas Kelley, 23, were not injured in the accident.
No one was wearing seat belts, Bagley said, and although the truck was equipped with airbags, they did not deploy.
At about 3:30 a.m., Gray was arrested at the scene for suspicion of vehicular homicide, and booked in the Routt County Jail, Bagley said. He was released Sunday afternoon on $20,000 bond to his family. He is scheduled to appear in Routt County Court on July 22.
The Colorado State Patrol is still investigating the accident.
Hernandez apparently had no physical injuries--his face wasn't marked or scratched at all, said a cousin, Veronica Pinela--but apparently his head hit the truck hard enough to cause his death.
"It's sad," Pinela said. "That's what happens when you're drinking and driving, I guess. It's just so sad. But he will be missed. We will always miss him."
Hernandez is survived by his mother, Socorro Chavez; his stepfather, Umberto Chavez; a brother, Umberto Chavez, Jr. and sisters Maricela, Noelia and Rosario Hernandez.
A memorial will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Eagle, followed by funeral services at Sunset View Cemetery in Eagle. A public viewing will be today at 7 p.m., at St. Mary's Catholic, followed by a Rosary services at 8:30 p.m. Donations can be made to the Hernandez family at Alpine Bank.
