Placedo man dies in motorcycle wreck; passenger injured
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A man died, and a woman is in the hospital after a late night motorcycle wreck Wednesday.
Henry Vasquez, 52, was driving his Harley Davidson motorcycle west on Water Street at 11:43 p.m., Officer Shane Wallace said. Witnesses in nearby homes heard the motorcycle's engine rev and saw the aftermath of the wreck.
Vasquez may not have slowed for a construction zone and it seems the motorcycle slipped on a patch of loose gravel, Wallace said.
Vasquez and his passenger, 33-year-old Christina Camacho, were thrown from the bike. Both were taken to DeTar Hospital Navarro, where the Placedo man later died. Camacho, of Victoria, was listed in good condition, a hospital spokesman said.
Manuel DeLosSantos Jr., Vasquez's cousin, remembers him fondly.
"When I got out of the service, we hung around a lot together," said DeLosSantos. "He was known as Mr. Miaggi, because of the way he cut and dyed his hair."
Vasquez, who worked in maintenance for the Victoria school district for 10 years, was a drummer and performed with many local bands including the Guerra Musical, La Mala Compañia, Jessie Escalona Bandolero Band and most recently with Los Cuatro del Barrio, DeLosSantos said. The latest band recently recorded a CD and was scheduled to soon take the photograph for the cover.
"He was a happy man and never showed any sadness or hurt outwardly. He was always smiling and joked about his problems, always emphasizing the good of others," his cousin added.
DeLosSantos said that Vasquez was also an excellent dancer.
"He danced to everything from country, Tejano, rock & roll, hip hop and even the current Mexican and Caribbean salsa craze. He would always encourage all his friends to join him on the floor and teased them by hollering, Heahh'," recalled DeLosSantos.
An avid fisherman, Vasquez attend school in Bloomington and was active in sports. He also coached Little League baseball in Bloomington and Victoria.
He has two children, six grandchildren, five brothers, and two sisters.
This is the third traffic wreck to result in serious injury or death this week. Early Wednesday morning, Enrique Rosales, 60, of Rosenberg was killed by a hit-and-run driver while working at a Laurent Street construction site.
On Monday, Cory Valentine, 22, of Victoria was hit by a sedan while he was trimming grass on the side of John Stockbauer Drive. Valentine was in stable condition at University Hospital in San Antonio on Thursday.
The common thread between the accidents is they happened in work or construction zones, Wallace said.
"People need to obey the signs that are posted," he said. "That's for their safety as well as workers."
Comments
My cousin henry was a great Dad, Musician, and a caring human being....RIP primo we love you and miss you!
May 2, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.Ok sladymoon, obviously there is "one" in every crowd. I leave a block where this wreck happened. Have all my life. Its a constructin area now and from what my neighbors saw, the poor man here went around the construction and into the wrong lane and lost control. In front of the house is a hill and alot of loose rocks, aka gravel. So yes its possible. Quit being a conspiracy theorist and arguing with what the police said. You said you drive a car right? Ever driven a motorcycle? It only has two wheels, both are a lot thinner than your car tires. So imagine riding a bicycle and hitting a large rock or a lot of rocks. It will affect you. Of course it wont in a car. Lets think before we type ok.
May 1, 2009 at 4:58 p.m.Henry was a great person. His cousin is right about the way he always laughed even if he was hurting inside. His laughter was great medicine for anyone. Working with him for the past ten years has been a pleasure and a blessing. I will definitely miss my friend.
May 1, 2009 at 10:15 a.m.this is some shocking new's for the people that new Henry....well like guy alway's a happy goer. may you rest in peace my brother
May 1, 2009 at 9:16 a.m.MY PRAYER'S GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY........BEST REGARD'S DESPERADO
Do, we really know if he did in fact slip on loose gravel? I travel Water st. everyday two to three times. I have yet to see loose gravel. What I do see, and now they have fixed it. There was a great big hole on the side which cars could drive, I myself hit that hole and almost lost control of my car. And I was not speeding. Maybe someone should look into this.
May 1, 2009 at 7:58 a.m.a great friend was lost. may the Lord open the gates of Heaven for you. I will forever remember your laugh.
May 1, 2009 at 12:19 a.m.I agree, people do need to pay attention.
April 30, 2009 at 6:49 p.m.I wished the construction areas would post speed limit signs, I see many people travel fast through these areas and presume they simply don't understand, know, the speed must be slower because of the construction. Large speed limit signs might save lives.
April 30, 2009 at 4:11 p.m.Be at Peace my friend. Ride with the Lord now.
April 30, 2009 at 3:57 p.m.R.I.P Uncle Henry... You will be missed.
April 30, 2009 at 1:16 p.m.