Family, friends and members of the Bradford West Gwillimbury community are mourning the death of Javier Quiroz Hernandez, 32, who died tragically early Saturday morning in a motorcycle collision on Holland Street East.
Quiroz Hernandez was on his way home from a bike meet-up in Vaughan when he was struck on his green motorcycle by two vehicles on Holland Street near Barrie Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say Quiroz Hernandez was rear-ended by the first vehicle and then struck by a second vehicle while travelling eastbound on Holland Street.
The first vehicle mounted a curb and crashed into a building severing a gas line in the process. The suspect driver fled on foot, but the canine unit was able to track him down a short time later near the scene of the crash. A 29-year-old Bradford man has been charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous operation causing death, and failure to remain at the scene of a crash.
The driver of the second vehicle remained at the scene and co-operated with investigators, according to police.
Quiroz Hernandez had been living in Bradford for the past four years with his mother Marta Hernandez and his father Francisco Quiroz above the Hacienda Santa Teresa restaurant in downtown Bradford, working as a supervisor for a construction company, owned by Juan Velazquez Sr., who also owns the restaurant.
His mother is employed as a cook for the restaurant and was working late Friday night and early Saturday morning when she heard the news that her son had been killed in the collision just steps away from their home. The shocking news was too much for her to bear and she was rushed to hospital. As of Sunday evening, she had not yet been discharged.
Quiroz Hernandez and his father always loved to motorcycle back home in Mexico. He recently purchased a bike and loved spending his days off riding in the area. His lime-green bike could be spotted a mile away and was usually parked behind the restaurant next to his father's black bike.
He loved basketball and Michael Jordan. A Chicago Bulls jersey and a basketball were laid out on his empty parking space on Sunday as part of a memorial and vigil created by family and friends.
Quiroz Hernandez worked hard at his job, providing for his family back home in Mexico, his wife Adriana and 11-year-old son, Jose. Both his wife and son were set to move to Canada in two weeks to finally live with Quiroz Hernadez full-time. Once settled, they had planned to have another baby.
Juan Velazquez Jr., who works at Hacienda, remembers Quiroz Hernandez telling him how excited he was for his son to move to Bradford and start school. It was always his dream for Jose to receive a Canadian education.
Now, the dream of starting a new life together as a family in Bradford has been crushed and the family is uncertain about what the future holds for them.
Adriana and Jose arrived in Bradford on Sunday. They have been staying at the Quiroz Hernandez home while being comforted by the Hacienda Santa Teresa family.
"I'm still in shock," Adriana told BradfordToday, who had been with Quiroz Hernandez for 13 years.
Juan Velazquez Sr., who was Quiroz Hernandez's boss, says Hernandez was like a son to him.
"We were like family," said Velazquez Sr. "He was a very good man, very good man. He was my friend, my son."
Velazquez Sr. was one of the first people to hear about the tragic news on Saturday night and ran to the scene where he saw his friend and employee lying on the road.
"I said, 'Wake up! Wake up!'" remembers Velazquez Sr. "Somebody else (a witness) tried to do CPR, and I said 'Wake up', but he couldn't."
Quiroz Hernandez was not an employee of Hacienda Santa Teresa, but he would never hesitate to help out, picking up meat orders for them, serving customers and even building the patio bar in the back.
"We saw him every day. We were always joking around," said Velazquez Jr. "He was always smiling."
The family and other members of the community gathered behind the restaurant Sunday to mourn and share memories of Hernandez while saying the rosary and hosting a candlelit vigil.
Hacienda Santa Teresa restaurant remains closed as they mourn together and figure out how to move ahead.
A post on a GoFundMe page reads: "We will forever have a hole in our hearts but will look to stay strong for Javier’s family and loved ones. We love you Javier. We will do everything we can to honour you and keep your memory alive. Fly high with the angels. 1990-2022."
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Anyone with information and security or dash camera footage to contact Constable Capeloa of the Traffic Unit at 905-775-3311, extension 1490, [email protected] or contact Crime Stoppers.
