19-year-old Jose Hernandez was days away from his Mineral Wells High School graduation. Now, his family is planning a funeral. Two other students were hospitalized.
MINERAL WELLS, Texas — Just days before he was set to graduate from high school, 19-year-old Jose Hernandez died in a crash early Saturday morning, cutting short a life full of promise.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed Hernandez, a senior at Mineral Wells High School, was killed in a two-vehicle wreck on Farm-to-Market Road 4, along Lipan Highway in Hood County.
Authorities said the truck Hernandez was riding in, along with two other Mineral Wells High School students, lost control during a curve in the roadway. When the truck lost control, it was struck by another vehicle.
DPS said Hernandez was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene. The two other students in the truck with him were taken to a hospital. Their conditions have not been released.
Hernandez’s mother, Estela Hernandez, said she never imagined losing her youngest son.
“This never would’ve crossed my mind… I never thought he would’ve died,” Hernandez said in Spanish.
Hernandez told WFAA she was awoken from her sleep when law enforcement officials knocked on the family’s front door.
“When I saw my other son crying, I asked, What happened, son? He said, Jose, mom. Jose died,” Hernandez said.
She described Jose as a happy, generous teenager who was always thinking of others.
“He was a really happy kid,” Hernandez said.
Jose dreamed of becoming a welder and was a devoted Dallas Cowboys fan. He played on his high school’s football team. His family said he often talked about helping them when he grew older.
“When I grow up, I’m going to help you,” Hernandez recalled him saying to his parents.
Instead of preparing to watch him walk across the graduation stage, his family is now planning his funeral. The Hernandez family has started a GoFundMe to cover his funeral costs.
Hernandez’s mother expressed her deepest gratitude to those in her community who have reached out to provide support and words of condolences.
The crash remains under investigation, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.