Matteo Hernandez, a second grade student at Prairie View Elementary, was killed in a three-vehicle accident Jan. 22.
An 8-year-old Prairie View Elementary student was killed last week in a crash near his neighborhood in Rhome, and now his mother is calling on state and local officials to take action to prevent another family from experiencing a similar loss.
Matteo Hernandez, a second grader at Northwest ISD’s Prairie View Elementary School, died Thursday after the vehicle he was riding in with his grandmother was struck at the intersection of Texas 114 and Alliance Boulevard, also known as County Road 4841.
The crash was reported shortly before 3:45 p.m. as Matteo and his grandmother were traveling home from school. Officials said the sedan was attempting to turn from Texas 114 into the By Well Estates neighborhood when it was struck on the passenger side by a three-quarter-ton pickup truck traveling along the state highway. A third vehicle was also involved after the initial collision.
Wise County EMS crews found Matteo without a pulse at the scene. He was briefly revived with CPR and a blood transfusion before being transported by medical helicopter to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. He died before his arrival to the hospital on Jan. 22 — a few weeks after his eighth birthday.
The driver of the pickup truck was not injured. A woman in the third vehicle sustained minor injuries but declined transport. Matteo’s grandmother suffered a broken hip and a spinal fracture and was transported to John Peter Smith hospital.
The intersection had frightened Matteo’s mother, Maria Rodriguez, a kindergarten teacher at Matteo’s school, years before it devastated her last week.
Google Maps street view of Texas 114 and Alliance Boulevard, near the By Well Estates entrance.
Matteo’s grandmother told Rodriguez that she never saw the pickup truck coming. There was a line of traffic blocking the view of oncoming traffic, she said.
“From around 3 to 6 p.m. it’s impossible to cross,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a four-way intersection, and there’s a huge amount of cars waiting to cross over that block the view.”
“One person in front of the line waved her to come,” she said after speaking with her mother. “My mom trusted that person, and then there was a pickup. It hit on Matteo’s side, and he basically died in that moment.”
“This devastating event shattered our lives, and what makes it even more heart-wrenching is knowing that his death was preventable,” the petition states.
Rodriguez said her decision to speak out is driven by concern for other children who travel through the area daily.
“Dozens of kids come in and out of that neighborhood,” she said. “It’s a risk not only for my kids — all kids that live there. I have to speak up.”
Rodriguez said losing Matteo was unimaginable. She said he was a joyful and kind child.
Matteo’s favorite sport was soccer. His favorite toys were stuffed animals, and he had two cats that tolerated his affection.
“He was always trying to hug and kiss [the cats],” she said. “He loved his video games, riding his scooter and bike — and he loved his grandpa. They were so close.”
“He was a light,” Rodriguez added. “Whenever he entered the room, everyone was laughing. He made everyone so happy. And he loved to help people.”
That instinct to help others, Rodriguez said, was part of who Matteo was — and may have already saved a child’s life months before his death.
“At his school, a kid was choking on a candy,” she said. “He grabbed his hand and got help. I think because of him, a mother is not grieving her kid right now.”
Rodriguez believes her son’s memory can make a difference after his death, too.
“He saved one life before,” she said. “Now I hope his death can save others. My son’s not going to die in vain.”
Loading Comments