Young Navy Veteran Killed, Another Critical in Single Car Crash on I-10 at Balmorhea: Part I

11/03/07 THE BALMORHEA PROGRESSIVE -- This afternoon, shortly after 1:00 PM, Reeves County Precinct-3 Justice of the Peace Rosendo Carrasco, of Balmorhea, who has witnessed many tragic local events -- indeed, more than his fair share -- was called by DPS officers to the gruesome scene of a single vehicle crash where he dutifully pronounced the 20-something male driver of a blue Honda Accord dead at the scene.

The vehicle displayed California plates, but at this hour neither the destination nor the point of origin of the two travelers has been officially determined.

The accident occurred on eastbound I-10 and Highway 17, just east of Balmorhea, which is between Van Horn and Fort Stockton on a lonely stretch of interstate that traverses the remote West Texas wastelands.

The hapless eastbound travelers appeared to be currently active or recently discharged members of the U.S. Navy, perhaps in route from the California naval base at San Diego. Their duffel bags, naval caps and mountain bikes were left at the scene, sadly along with a blood covered white stuffed animal - a baby polar bear.

Their names are being withheld pending official confirmation of identification and notification of nearest of kin....

Follow the story below on this page or go to Part II here. You may also read the original article uninterrupted by sectionals at: THE BALMORHEA PROGRESSIVE.

[kimberlynn]

This story is about 21 year old George Luis Rodriguez Junior of Houston, Texas. He had been stationed in California in the US Navy where he had met his wife Jill. She survived by the grace of God, and we are glad of that! George, who was known affectionately by family and friends as Georgie was a vibrant and dearly beloved young man and it was definitely a shock and a tragedy. George was a very charismatic guy and a very loving one.
I met Georgie when he was about 4 years old. Him, his mom, dad, and baby brother lived in a duplex across the courtyard from ours and our moms worked together as well.(My late brother also worked with our mothers).
I immediately became enamored of Georgie, his mom-who was the same age as my brother...at the time 18 and his baby brother. I kind of adopted them as a second family, i was 9 at the time.
My heart truly broke when his mom called me and told me of the news of this accident. Not just because he was my childhood chum who I conned in to playing Barbies, but because his mom, who was like a sister to me (even moreso after i lost my brother the same age-they were born 3 days apart), but also because she was nearly 6 1/2 months into a high risk pregnancy and had already lost one of the set of twins. I knew it was going to make it very hard. Her and Georgie kinda grew up together, he was her son and her friend. Then my heart broke for David, his brother that was no longer in diapers but now about 18 years old. I knew what it was like to lose the older brother and it hurt me so much all over again...because it felt like i too had lost a brother....again.
George was survived by his afforementioned family, plus 2 half brothers and numerous aunts uncles cousins and his grandparents. George's little brother Nicholas came premature by nearly 2 months but was released from the hospital around the time he was supposed to be born with a clean bill of health!
Anyway, Georgie's birthday is coming up next month in April and I'm typing this in hopes that maybe someone will read it and possibly keep his family in their prayers, it may not be an easy day for them. If you ever lost someone you loved you may understand what I mean.

[Clarity]

I don't know if anyone will ever see or reply to this post, but please tell me if this is the George Rodriguez I am remembering. Did he go to Waltrip High School? Practice karate for long periods of time at East West? Did he have a stupid tattoo on his arm and the prettiest smile you've ever seen? Did he grab girls and put his hand over their mouth and kiss his hand, dipping them all the way to the floor? Did he have a confusing family history, and a half-brother or cousin or something named Jacob?
Please someone, anyone, tell me. Because I know he was killed in a wreck as well, and was in the Navy, and I was just waiting for him to come home. I just need to know that someone else remembers him, and thinks of him. Because I do every day. Every single day of my life.
please email me at [e-mail]
my name is Clarity.