Recent Sanger graduate was victim in fatal crash. He ‘had heart of a lion,’ coach says
A 17-year-old Sanger boy killed early Saturday in a one-vehicle crash northwest of Sanger was identified by friends and family as Uriel Velasquez.
Velasquez graduated from Sanger High last season and played for the Apaches soccer team as a goalkeeper.
Although the Fresno County coroner had yet to formally release the crash victim’s name, Velasquez’s death was confirmed by those who knew him at the school, by family via a GoFundMe page and at a memorial at the crash site.
Sanger athletic director Brian Penner expressed sadness after he learned that Velasquez had died.
“I know he was really a nice kid,” he said. “I know the team is devastated. He’s a really good person.”
The California Highway Patrol said the collision happened at 2:40 a.m. as Velasquez was eastbound on Highway 180, east of McCall Avenue. The preliminary investigation established that Velasquez, in a Toyota Camry, drifted off the roadway as he was approaching McCall and slammed into a light pole.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sanger coach Alex Gutierrez said he was devastated upon learning the news.
“I’ve been coaching now for almost 20 years and any time there’s anything like this, I think I’m always nervous or afraid or just worried that it could be somebody, one of mine, one of my boys, one of the boys that we’ve coached, I’ve coached,” Gutierrez said.
“Still very shocked. I’m just in this belief at this point.”
Gutierrez said Velasquez was with the team since his sophomore year before graduating in June.
He was a “big piece for us,” Gutierrez said.
Velasquez helped Sanger to a spot in the Central Section Division I championship as a junior.
Gutierrez remembers when Velasquez contributed in a big way in the semifinals, making two crucial saves on penalty kicks to send the Apaches to the championship.
Velasquez was celebrated with chants from the 1,000 fans in attendance, Gutierrez said.
He described Velasquez as “very calm and composed in pressure” and “really had the heart of a tiger, heart of a lion out in the field.”
“I just respected him so much, as a player as a person,” Gutierrez said. “ Our very last game his senior year, he came up to us and thanked us for more than just our role as coaches and let us know that him being around us was very special.
“It was very difficult to find out this news today because these boys were all his family, and he was one of those that I cared for and really wanted to see him succeed.”
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Velasquez’s family set up the GoFundMe account to cover funeral expenses.
This story was originally published August 20, 2023 at 12:35 PM.
