Parents have a warning after San Jose teen dies in car crash on Thanksgiving
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A family in San Jose is speaking out about the loss of their teenage son who died in a car crash early Thanksgiving morning. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office says their son was in the car with three other teens when they tried to evade police and crashed into a tree. The male driver was later booked into Juvenile Hall and is facing multiple charges.
The victim’s parents say losing their son is their worst nightmare, but they have a message for other parents about making tough decisions that may keep their teens safe.
"As soon as I heard my dad screaming and moaning, he opened the door and told me that my son was gone, he passed. That’s how we found out," said Josephina Acevedo, Isaiah’s mother.
The parents of 15-year-old Isaiah Mata, Acevedo and stepfather Giovanni Ruiz, say they were devastated to learn that their son had been killed in a car crash just after 3 a.m. Thanksgiving morning in Cupertino. Mata attended Prospect High in San Jose and lived with family while his parents lived and worked in Modesto. They gathered in San Jose for the holiday and allowed Isaiah to go out to a party on Wednesday night.
"He never made it back. We tried calling him and we couldn’t reach him. I don’t know what happened. We went to sleep early," said Ruiz.
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies say last Thursday morning, they saw a white Hyundai Elantra near De Anza and Stevens Creek Blvds. and one passenger was wearing a face mask with a hooded sweater. When they attempted to pull the car over, a pursuit began, and it ended when the car crashed into a tree near Saratoga Los Gatos Road and Via Colina. Police say they also found an unloaded firearm magazine nearby.
"Isaiah, our son, was the only one that didn’t make it. They told me there were four teenagers in the car, but they couldn’t release their ages, their names or any other information about them because they were minors," said Ruiz.
The other three teens in the car, two of them girls, were not seriously injured. After losing her son in what she says was an avoidable car crash, Isaiah’s mother has a message for other parents of teenagers.
"I don’t care if they’re a good kid or a bad kid, be in their business. Check their phones. Make sure they’re safe at all times. Teach them that nothing good comes out of being away from home late, at all, because the kids don’t think," said Acevedo.
The driver was booked into Juvenile Hall and is facing multiple charges including vehicular manslaughter and possession of a stolen vehicle. The family has set up a GoFundMe account.
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