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SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — A motorcyclist who hit a pickup truck on Highway 1 on the peninsula Saturday night has been identified.
The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office knew him as Joaquin Dominik Jimenez Alvarado, 28, of Half Moon Bay.
Authorities say he is the son of Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaquin Jimenez.
“I saw that there was the truck and then the motorcycle that more or less got stuck underneath. The truck was a little bit in the middle of the intersection, so I think he was looking to make a left turn,” said Alexis Deligne, who lives nearby.
Authorities say a volunteer firefighter in the area provided medical care to the motorcyclist until assistance arrived, but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has not yet determined what caused the crash, but says it occurred on Highway 1 at Mirada Road in Half Moon Bay at 5:45 p. m. of Saturday.
The mayor’s son is also named Joaquin and is only 28 years old. On Sunday, a photograph of him and his friends at the crash site, surrounded by dozens of flowers, was shown. One of the flowers, left on Highway 1, a few steps from where Joaquin’s motorcycle crashed into a pickup truck.
Community members are heartbroken by what happened and by the mayor, who they say worked very hard for the area farm after the shooting at Half Moon Bay.
“He made a difference for a lot of farmers and now he has to deal with his own tragedy, and I can’t even believe that any parent deserves to have to bury their child,” said Julie Roskoph of Half Moon Bay.
The sheriff says the driver of the pickup truck, an adult male, remained at the scene and cooperated fully.
Those who live near the site of the twist of fate say they don’t feel when turning left onto Highway 1 from Mirada Road.
“A very dangerous crossroads! I’ve lived here for over five years in this community and it’s tricky to cross the street safely,” said Anna van Ekelenburg, who lives nearby.
“What I hate to think is that it takes something tragic like this for a replacement to happen, like lighting a soft or something,” Deligne said.
A bouquet of flowers placed in front of the town hall. Locals say young Joaquin, an engineer at Union Stationary in San Francisco, enjoyed photography and enjoyed spending time with friends and family.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said the crash blocked the northbound and southbound lanes for more than hours.
“Our hearts and minds are with Mayor Jimenez and his circle of family during this time of unimaginable loss. No one is ever prepared for such unforeseen tragedies, and when they hit so close to home, they affect us all deeply. As a community, let We come together to help Jimenez’s circle of family and give them our love and strength,” said San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus.
“Everyone in Half Moon Bay is grieving,” Deligne said.
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