Jose Hernandez reportedly died earlier this month in a collision while riding his horse. (GoFundMe)
Bakersfield, Calif.
A family in California is remembering a man and his horse after the two reportedly died in a collision.
Delma “Raquel” Salazar shared with KGET that her family is suffering after learning that her boyfriend, Jose Hernandez, died in a crash while riding his horse in Kern County earlier this month.
Hernandez’s stepdaughter Stephanie Salazar told KGET they are still trying to come to terms with the loss.
“It doesn’t feel real, it hurts a lot,” Stephanie Salazar said in an interview.
Raquel Salazar added, “He was just such a good person, with a big heart, he never talked badly about anybody; he always tried his best to help anybody.”
The family shared that Hernandez was known for his love of horses and riding them in the area where he died.
“He had that horse for a little over a year he trained it himself, he loved that horse, it was his pride and joy,” Raquel Salazar shared.
She has also started a GoFundMe to help raise money for Hernandez’s funeral arrangements.
KGET reports that Bakersfield police are continuing their investigation into the crash. Sgt. Eric Celedon said it is important to take precautions when riding in certain areas.
“If you are going to be riding a horse during nighttime hours, you are required to wear some sort of reflective equipment,” the sergeant shared. “We need to do everything we can to mitigate that risk as much as possible.”