Canutillo student killed in West El Paso crash
A 14-year Canutillo Middle School student - described as quiet, funny and a talented soccer player – was mourned on campus Friday as students learned of his death in a five-vehicle traffic accident that shut down Interstate 10 for seven hours.
Diego Sanchez Fernandez “was very intelligent, very respected and beloved student here,” said Shane Griffith, a spokesman for the Canutillo Independent School District.
Diego, an eight-grader, “was in a variety of advanced placement, classes. He was also a very important member of the eight-grade soccer team. He was a defender and played center fullback stopper. Our thoughts and prayer are not only with Diego but with his entire family.”
Diego was a passenger in the pickup truck driven by his 40-year-old mother Thursday evening when it rear-ended a semi-tractor trailer on I-10 East on the Redd Road overpass about 6 p.m. and set off a chain reaction of crashes, El Paso police said.
The young man died at the scene.
Diego’s mother, who’s name has not been released, was taken to University Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Diego’s father, 41, also was injured and was taken to Las Palmas Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Canutillo Middle School Principal Mark Paz said Diego’s sense of humor will be missed. The young man was “quiet with a really good sense of humor.”
Diego's older brother, a Canutillo High School student, was not in the pickup, but is receiving counseling, Griffith said.
The crash caused the trailer-tractor to roll off the freeway and onto the Redd Road on-ramp, police said. In the chain-reaction was a Jeep Wrangler, GMC truck, Volkswagon Jetta and another tractor-trailer.
The drivers of the Jeep, a 25-year-old man, and the GMC truck, a 20-year-old man, were both taken to Las Palmas Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported.
Canutillo Middle School officials held a moment of silence for Diego and his family during the school’s morning announcement Friday, officials said. A moment of silence for the Fernandez family also was scheduled Friday's football game between Canutillo and Irvin High School at Canutillo’s Lowenburg Stadium.
Students, along with faculty and staff, created a memorial inside the school at the front entrance filled with heartfelt notes, pictures and flowers for Diego. Officials plan to leave the memorial up until the end of December.
The middle school will also pay tribute to Diego during its Veteran’s Day memorial celebration at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. A balloon release and other events are scheduled for the memorial. The event will be open to the public.
District officials are now focusing on helping students, faculty and staff with the grieving process over Diego’s death. Five additional counselors were brought to the campus to provide grievance assistance.
“Canutillo middle schoolers are going through a grieving process right now,” Griffith said. “This is one big family here in Canutillo so we will get through this as we pull together during this difficult time. Counselors will be here for as long as needed.”
Aaron Martinez may be reached at 546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinez31 on Twitter.
Luis Carlos Lopez may be reached at 546-6381; lclopez@gannett.com or @lclopez4 on Twitter.
