Man killed in West Valley crash was visiting elderly neighbor

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Neighbors told KSL TV this was a quiet neighborhood, until yesterday when it turned into chaos.

Thursday night, a 15-year-old in a stolen car crashed into a house, killing a man.

The victim, identified as 24-year-old  Adrian Hernandez-Rodriguez was visiting a neighbor at the time of the collision.

Bystander killed after teen in stolen vehicle crashes into home

The man who owns the home said his mother was giving food to Hernandez-Rodriguez when the car crashed into him.

“She just kept saying Adrian, Adrian, Adrian,” said homeowner Chris Bonilla. He said his mom gets constant help from Hernandez-Rodriguez.

“My mom always talked very well about him. I guess the kid was always keeping an eye on her,” Bonilla said. “And would take her to church whenever my mom would need a ride because she doesn’t drive.”

Bonilla said the man’s actions said a lot about who he was as a person.

“You don’t see that very often. Especially for a young kid, 23, 24 years old. They’re always doing other things, and for him to take that time it’s says a lot about him.”

The elderly woman is now in the hospital with high blood pressure after witnessing all this. Bonilla said his mom was traumatized by the incident. When she returns home, she won’t be able to live here anymore, because her house has been condemned.

“The house is not livable. The whole corner of the house, it’s pretty much gone,” Bonilla said. “The roof is pretty much just hanging.”

Bonilla says it’ll likely take six months to a year to make the home livable again.

The 15-year-old behind the wheel was apprehended and taken to the hospital. He has now been moved to Juvenile detention. Police said he is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault.