Relatives of Snelling family killed in crash speak out

The mood was somber Tuesday for a shaken family mourning the loss of four loved ones who died in a crash near Snelling over the long holiday weekend.

Mario Hernandez, 33; wife Blanca, 31, daughter Nayeli, 9; and son Jonathan, 6, were discovered early Monday in a canal near Snelling after a crash sent the truck in which they were traveling off the road before it overturned in the waterway. Family members confirmed the names of the victims in an interview with the Merced Sun-Star.

Martin Machuca, 46, an uncle to Mario Hernandez, said the family was shocked to lose all four loved ones at once. The Hernandez family, who lived outside Snelling, had just visited Machuca’s home the previous night, as they did every Sunday, he said.

The Hernandez family left Machuca’s home about 5 p.m. Sunday. The next day, Mario Hernandez did not come to work.

“(Mario) never showed to work (Monday),” Machuca said. “We thought he was at home.”

After making some calls, the family got the tragic news. Machuca remembered the Hernandez children as energetic, and said he thought highly of his nephew.

“Great guy,” he said. “I’ve known him for a long time.”

A passer-by called the California Highway Patrol just before 8:30 a.m. Monday to report spotting an overturned GMC Sierra in a canal east of Highway 59, Officer Moises Onsurez said. The truck had been traveling east on Youd Road when it left the roadway during the night and came to rest on its roof in the waterway, Onsurez said.

People living on Youd Road reported hearing tires screech between 8 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, but did not hear a crash, Onsurez said. The residents looked outside but did not see the overturned truck.

Investigators on Tuesday continued to examine physical evidence to determine what may have caused the crash.

“With a crash of this magnitude, it’s going to take a substantial amount of time before any determination is made,” Onsurez said Tuesday.

Officers were still looking into where the family was coming from before the crash and where they may have been headed.

Family members gathered at Machuca’s Winton home on Monday and Tuesday to mourn their loved ones as they huddled around photos. Friends brought pizza and other food to lend a helping hand.

Nayeli was remembered as a “girly girl” by her cousins. Jonathan liked video games. The children came by every weekend to ride bikes and play games.

Machuca said his family will pull together as they prepare to bury their loved ones. “We’re a big family, so we’ll be there for each other,” he said.

The boy and girl were first- and fourth-graders, respectively, in the Merced River School District, according to Superintendent Richard Lopez. He said the district on Tuesday called on the Merced County Office of Education, which sent five counselors to the school to speak with teachers and students.

It’s a small district, with about 144 students total in both schools, Lopez said. The tragedy has shaken the tightly knit community, leaving teachers and students stunned by the sudden loss. Teachers were perhaps affected even more than students, he said.

“Kids for the most part stay with us the whole nine years,” he said. “(Teachers) see these kids every year and they get to know these kids on a more personal level.”

Lopez said the school is looking into a memorial of some kind for the two students.

Relatives have set up a bank account for the funeral expenses with Bank of the West, account No. 041551136.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Relatives of Snelling family killed in crash speak out."