A day of off-roading with friends turned tragic when a 20
year-old man died at Hollister Hills after running head-on into a
tree last Saturday afternoon.
Hollister – A day of off-roading with friends turned tragic when a 20 year-old man died at Hollister Hills after running head-on into a tree last Saturday afternoon.
Aaron Smith had just bought his 2003 Yamaha three weeks before and was eager to take his new bike out for a spin, said Laurie Heredia, his aunt.
“As far as we know he lost control or didn’t know the trail well enough and hit a tree,” said Heredia.
The man suffered multiple trauma injuries and was airlifted to Stanford Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 9:30pm as surgeons worked to stabilize his injuries, according to Heredia and the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office.
Smith graduated from San Benito High School in 2003 and was working in Watsonville as a welder. He had dreams of owning his own home and was living at home with his parents, Hollister residents Debbie and Charlie Smith, to save money. His parents chose not to comment on their loss.
“He was young and vivacious – afraid of nothing,” said Heredia.
Smith was not wearing elbow or knee pads nor a chest protector, although he was wearing an old helmet, she said. Hollister Hills requires all riders to wear a helmet and recommends protective gear in case of a fall. However, it is not certain that protective gear would have saved Smith because he was riding fast and hit a stationary object, which increased the impact of the collision, said Lt. Mary Pass, Assistant District Superintendent at Hollister Hills.
“Any stationary, solid object is going to be less forgiving than something that was moving,” said Pass.
Pass did not know how many people were at the park on Saturday, but said it was “busy, yet not packed.” About 1,000 people visit the park on an average weekend, according to numbers provided by Hollister Hills.
The death is the third in the recreation park’s history, according to Pass. All three of the deaths occurred on a weekend.
Besides parents, Smith is survived by his two sisters, Alyssa and Amanda. Services are scheduled at 7pm Thursday, Feb. 17 at Sacred Heart Church, with viewing from 12 to 5pm.
Karina Ioffee covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or ki*****@fr***********.com
