Students and faculty at Santa Ynez Valley High School are mourning the death of Carina Velazquez, who died March 26 after being hit by a car.
Velazquez, 15, was walking home from school that night around 6:55 after attending an FFA meeting, when a car struck her as she started crossing the intersection of Refugio Road and Highway 246, said Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District Superintendent Scott Cory.
Cory said she was later transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The driver, 83-year-old Greta Garofalluo, was headed westbound on 246 in a 2008 Chrysler minivan when she allegedly hit Velazquez, according to a CHP collision report. The CHP is still investigating the incident.
Because Garofalluo was driving westward, Cory speculated that she may have been blinded by the sun. That intersection might not be safe enough for how heavily it’s used, Cory said.
“There’s some conversation that we need to have to improve safety there,” Cory said, adding that he’s in talks with officials—including Santa Barbara County Supervisor Doreen Farr, the CHP, and Caltrans—to find a permanent way to increase safety at the intersection. “It’s a fairly high-use intersection. Soon a retirement community will be built kitty-corner to the school.”
Cory said that more than 50 students took time out of school on March 27 to grieve for Velazquez inside of safe room set up by school officials.
“When it affects one, it affects all,” Cory said. “But it’s nothing compared to what the parents are going through.”
Velazquez was a freshman and described as a well-liked student. Her family has lived in the Santa Ynez Valley for years, Cory said.
A memorial service honoring Velazquez is planned for Friday, April 3, at 10 a.m. on the football field.
The school is tight knit, Cory said, and it’s rallying around her death. He said students set up a GoFundMe website to raise money for Velazquez’s family. To donate, visit gofundme.com/q7s4js.
Cory said he was impressed by all of the community support he’s seen so far.
“One of the hallmarks of the Santa Ynez Valley is that we take care of each other pretty well,” Cory said. “The way Santa Ynez rallies around people, it’s something to see.”
This article appears in Apr 2-9, 2015.