CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) — Loved ones of Martha Hernandez and her 9-year-old son, Adrian, came together in Old Town Clovis Tuesday night for a vigil to mourn the two killed the day after Easter.
The mother and son were killed in a deadly hit-and-run crash in central Fresno, which sent their car into a canal.
“She’s a beautiful soul, and it does bring me peace knowing she’s with the Lord now and so is her baby,” says Hernandez’s coworker.
Where there was once a busy nail station, now lie flowers.
Clinging to one another, family, coworkers, and clients of Martha Hernandez, or “Miss Patty,” filled Chosen Salon in Old Town Clovis.
“I would come in, and we would just talk. She would know what words to say. She loved her boys. Her boys were her everything,” says Hernandez’s client.
“She just wanted to make everybody feel beautiful. I know that even though she’s not here with us, I feel her presence,” says Hernandez’s coworker.
The mother and her son were driving home from an Easter celebration with family when police say an SUV ran a red light and crashed into their car, sending them into the Dry Creek Canal.
Nine-year- old Adrian was a beloved student at Tarpey Elementary. His teachers remembered him as bright and kind.
Clinging to a blue teddy bear, a little boy handed it to Hernandez’s older son, Michael, a high school senior now set to graduate without his mother. The teen stood alongside his aunt and grandparents.
The family, surrounded by support.
“She was dedicated to God. She was dedicated to her family. She was a great sister. She was a good friend. She was an amazing counselor. We never expected something like this to happen, but we pray that God will bring justice,” says Hernandez’s sister.
Loved ones lit candles just hours after the suspect turned himself in to the Fresno County Jail.
Police say 22-year-old Timothy Chavez was the driver who ran from the crash.
ABC30 legal analyst Tony Capozzi says he could face charges of vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run, driving with a suspended license, and without insurance.
“Turning himself in is always good. Running away is not a good idea unless there may be some circumstances you’re trying to avoid,” says Capozzi.
As the memorial at the crash site continues to grow and tributes pour in, police continue their investigation.
Clovis Unified tells Action News it will provide additional emotional support to the community at Tarpy Elementary.
The family has set up a GoFundMe; you can find a link here.
