A tragic incident unfolded when a man, who had just purchased flowers for his wife, met with a rare and devastating accident while heading for a romantic evening. The unforeseen event occurred due to a driver’s blown tire, leading to a series of events that resulted in the untimely death of Humberto Hernandez on an East Bay street.
According to Motorcycle Officer Eddie Bermudez, the fatal outcome was due to an extremely unlikely scenario where Humberto happened to be in a vulnerable position at the wrong moment. Had he been even slightly to the left or right of where he was standing, the tragic accident could have been avoided. The investigator termed the incident as a “million-to-one chance.”
Humberto, aged 24, was strolling with his wife after purchasing flowers and cherries for their dinner outing. Simultaneously, a Ford Escape driven by a 45-year-old woman experienced a blown tire, causing the vehicle to veer onto the pavement. The SUV collided with a fire hydrant, dislodging it and propelling it towards Humberto, striking him in the back of his head.
Witnesses described the speed and force of the hydrant as it pierced through a fence post-impact, highlighting the intensity of the accident. Humberto tragically succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while his wife, who was walking slightly behind him, escaped unharmed.
The authorities revealed that the water pressure from the hydrant was so powerful that it propelled the 500-pound object like a projectile. The tragic event left the community in shock, with one officer noting that while incidents involving fire hydrants are not uncommon, a fatality of this nature was unprecedented.
Humberto’s wife, who had no immediate family or financial resources in the country, was left devastated by the sudden loss of her husband. The couple, recent immigrants to the United States, were residing in a trailer at the time of the incident.
