Teen remembered two years after fatal crash

A high school senior killed in a car wreck two years ago was remembered Wednesday evening in Pueblo.

Adding to the agony of losing a son is the fact the person who might be responsible has yet to face the judge.

The crash happened along I-25 near 13th Street.

Eric Velasquez, 18, was riding in a friend’s SUV when the driver lost control and rolled off the freeway.

Velasquez was ejected, landing on railroad tracks where he was fatally struck by a train.

Glenda Velasquez said Wednesday she thinks about her loss every minute of every day.

“When I tell my son good night or good morning, this is how i tell him. I grab his picture, I kiss him, and that’s how I tell him good morning when I want to hug my son,” she said.

Dozens of friends and relatives came out this week to remember the soul and the smile taken far too early, and to pray for closure that his family says can only come with holding the driver accountable.

It took nearly a year, but Pueblo Police eventually forwarded the case to the District Attorney’s office, recommending the 16 year old driver be charged of Reckless Driving and Vehicular Homicide.

The teen was charged, but the case has yet to go to trial or be settled in a plea agreement, and that’s something that bothers Eric’s mother.

“We’ve had so many continuances,” she said, “I go to court, I leave, and it’s a continuance.

She plans to continue attending every hearing just as she plans to release balloons on every anniversary.

KRDO Newschannel 13 reached out to the Pueblo County District Attorney’s office Wednesday afternoon for an update on the legal wrangling in the case, but no new details were available.

Eric’s mom pointed out that he wasn’t wearing his seat belt that night, and she hopes that will serve as a lesson to others.