Turlock Middle School Mourns Student Killed By DUI Suspect
TURLOCK (CBS13) — Students and faculty are turning to each other for emotional support after a 14-year-old student was killed in a deadly crash.
It happened Friday near the intersection of Geer and Monte Vista Avenue, across from the California State University Stanislaus campus.
"Watch over me," "We will have you in our hearts forever," and "Gonna miss you" are just some of the messages left at a small memorial for the victim, Freida Pineda.
"Anytime you lose someone it's difficult, but someone so young — she was very well connected to some of our classmates and teachers," said Scott Lucas, principal at Dutcher Middle School.
Freida was an eighth-grader at Dutcher Middle School. She loved sunflowers and the color yellow. On Friday, she was involved in the deadly crash.
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"[She was] very outgoing, very positive. Just a real pleasant person to be around," Lucas said.
According to Turlock police, the girl was inside a white Toyota sedan with a woman and another girl when it was hit by a black Toyota truck. Freida was ejected from the vehicle. The other two were found inside the car badly injured.
"We let our students know that we do have support here in place while they are here, but we also plan to have those after the holidays because we know that sometimes the grieving period may expand past the holidays," said Lucas.
The driver in the truck was Kevin Solis Hernandez, 21. He was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and DUI causing death or serious bodily injury.
The Turlock Unified School District said in a statement "Please keep the victims of this terrible accident as well as their friends and family in your thoughts."
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"We feel so terrible for the family," said Lucas.
Students tied yellow ribbons on trees to remember Freida. They also placed sunflowers on classroom doors to remember their young friend.
"She was in our emergent program as well as for her elect, she was in our drama class so she was involved in our performing arts class so that is a close group, she definitely made an impact in those classes," Lucas said.
Hernandez is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday. A Go-Fund-Me page has been set up by teachers to help Frieda's family.
The other surviving victims, police say are in stable condition.