Teenager killed in ATV crash will be remembered as someone who helped others and loved his family

VICTOR — Michael Hernandez Parra, 14, will beryllium remembered arsenic a boy who was caring and looked to thief his chap classmates, neighbors, and family.

Michael’s mother, Sandra Hernandez, said her boy has ever been a really bully kid. He was nan type of personification who would beryllium connected his four-wheeler successful nan winter, attached pinch a plow, uncovering driveways successful nan vicinity to cleanable retired snow. 

“I mean, without moreover neighbors asking him to aliases moreover america telling him to, he would spell and cleanable neighbors’ houses and sidewalks,” Sandra said. 

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What happened

The teen died successful an ATV clang successful Teton County connected Saturday, June 8. 

Michael was nan oldest successful his family. He had 3 younger siblings and lived successful Victor pinch his mom and dad, Miguel. 

Sandra and Miguel were not location astatine nan clip of nan crash. They were successful Idaho Falls. 

“We told him we were going to spell to Idaho Falls. We asked if he wanted to come. He said no. He’s like, ‘I’m going to enactment location pinch my grandma…and I want to beryllium present pinch nan kids.’ So he stayed. He had stayed (too) because it was my nephew’s birthday,” Sandra said. 

She added that her mother — Michael’s grandma — had conscionable gotten knee room precocious and he liked to assistance her and walk clip pinch her. 

They told Michael, while they were gone, not to usage nan ATV. 

“We had to talk to him about…no utilizing nan four-wheeler erstwhile there’s much kids. So he was aware,” Sandra said. “We had talked to him astatine 3:20 p.m. My hubby had FaceTimed him.”

The clang happened astir 20 minutes later astatine 664 West and 6000 South. Michael was nan driver and a friend was pinch him successful nan reddish Suzuki King Quad 750. They deed a character and some were ejected, according to Idaho State Police. Michael’s friend was taken by ambulance to a section infirmary and Sandra said he is doing okay. 

“Around 3:50 p.m., my relative called maine and said Michael had an accident,” she said. “I said to 1 of nan EMTs astatine nan Driggs infirmary and they said that this mishap was worse than what they believed, and he needed to beryllium flown to Idaho Falls.”

The hospital 

He was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. Sandra and Miguel were not allowed to spot their boy astatine nan clip arsenic aesculapian unit worked connected him, she said. They were taken to a room pinch nary windows.

“They brought america h2o and gave america Kleenex, and we knew that this wasn’t going to beryllium good,” she said. 

They waited and past sewage nan news. 

“The expert came backmost and said, ‘They did each they could. They did CPR connected him twice, and he didn’t make it,'” she recalls. “I was reasoning really unfair life was. How could this person happened to him? I was wondering why this didn’t hap to me. Why him? Why not me?”

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What she knows

As Sandra reflects connected what happened to Michael that day, she thinks she mightiness know.

“I judge what we now cognize is that he had gone to Victor to nan market shop because location was a container pinch Red Bull’s, juices, and sodas…they were bringing drinks backmost for nan kids,” she said. 

However, she was amazed astatine nan roadworthy he had taken.

“He ne'er takes that road. I don’t cognize what he did to return that road. Our conclusion is he must person caught a small spot of ungraded connected nan broadside and mislaid control,” Sandra said.

Michael had a helmet but was not wearing it successful that moment. His friend didn’t deterioration 1 either. 

She said she and her family person learned an important lesson.

“Safety first. Always deterioration a helmet,” she said. “When I leave, return things pinch maine aliases put things distant wherever they’re not capable to scope thing for illustration keys.”

Remembering Michael 

He attended Teton Middle School and had precocious vanished 8th grade. He was portion of a programme called “Latinos successful Action.” He gave work to others and his first connection was Spanish.

“There were respective students that sewage present from Mexico and didn’t cognize nan language, and he was ever nan 1 that would go friends pinch them and thief them out,” Sandra said. “There were a batch of kids astatine nan ceremonial that told us, ‘He was nan 1 that ne'er laughed astatine maine because I didn’t know. Always offered to thief do homework erstwhile I didn’t understand it.'”

People knew Michael astatine nan section market store. He was nan “kid pinch nan curly hair.”

“About 2 months ago, he and a friend opened a mini item car cleaning (business), and they were cleaning cars,” Sandra said. “I mean, it’s astonishing really overmuch Michael did successful his short time.” 

He liked playing shot and would skis during nan winter. Michael hunted pinch his dad. 

He had told his parents each nan clip that he loved them. 

“What I miss astir about him is decidedly his laughter and nan measurement he ever wanted to joke astir pinch america and hug us,” Sandra said. 

Michael pinch his parents and siblings. | Courtesy Sandra Hernandez

Support from nan community

There has been an outpouring of emotion and support for Sandra and her family. Hundreds of group showed up astatine a ceremonial for Michael. His shot team, shot coach, teachers, and principal, on pinch friends, gave their condolences.

Sandra said her family is Catholic, and a Father delivered a beautiful connection astatine Mass that comforted her. 

She is grateful to those who person donated to their family connected GoFundMe. 

“We do judge successful nan powerfulness of dream and our family has really felt it,” she said.

Her boy will ever beryllium remembered and loved. 

“It makes america deliberation life is very precious, and successful nan blink of an eye, everything tin change,” she said. “He was our first kid and he was nan first 1 that left.”