The family of a man who died in a motorcycle accident on Saturday held a candlelight vigil on Sunday in his memory.
The accident occurred in Lakewood at the intersection of Sheridan Boulevard and Mexico Avenue. The motorcycle collided with a vehicle that was making a left turn.
The motorcyclist, Julian Gutierrez, who was 34 years old, tragically lost his life at the scene.
As Gutierrez’s family shared their memories of him with FOX31, they noticed something they believed to be a sign from their beloved family member. Tricia Herrera, overwhelmed with grief, saw a rainbow forming above them as she spoke about her son at the site of the fatal accident.
“It’s hard to believe I’m here; I’m still in shock,” Herrera said. She explained that Gutierrez had turned his life around after being released from prison several years ago. “He got out, found a good job, had a son, and everything was going well for him,” she added.
Gutierrez was the second oldest of six siblings and left behind a 2-year-old son. His brother Adrian spoke fondly of him, saying, “He was my big brother, you know, so he pretty much taught me everything. It was just me and him walking to school and walking home from school together.”
The family is grieving together, but no one feels the loss more deeply than Herrera, who had already lost her oldest daughter, Vanessa, in 2016. “I don’t want to question God; I just have to deal with this, and that’s the hard part because I already lost a daughter,” Herrera shared.
FOX31 reached out to the Lakewood Police Department to inquire about the intersection where the accident occurred. The department stated that this was the first reported crash at that location this year, although there have been accidents there in previous years. This tragic incident marked the first fatal crash at that intersection.