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SUNNY Temp: 82 °F Wind: W at 4 mph Wednesday, May 21, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 28, 2003 Mark Aguirre, 20, has a lot of questions following the death of his sister, Michelle, 10, Sunday at the foot of the family's driveway on West Griffin Creek Road. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli A second family tragedy Michelle Aguirre’s death, and her sister Hollie’s serious injuries in a Sunday accident, reawaken painful memories of a brother struck and killed by a pickup in 1990 By MARK FREEMAN and JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Michelle and Hollie Aguirre were forbidden to ride their skateboard down their gravel driveway off West Griffin Creek Road, a demand the children’s parents made to prevent another family tragedy like the one almost 13 years ago. Jed Aguirre, the second oldest of Ed and Caroll Aguirre’s 13 children, was killed in 1990 when he darted in front of a pickup truck on South Pacific Highway near Phoenix, and any playing near the roadway even now was strictly off-limits. "They’d ride together down the hill, then drag their feet in the gravel so they would stop right in front of the road," said Mark Aguirre, the girl’s 20-year-old brother. "My parents hated it. Whenever my dad found the skateboard, he’d hide it." On Sunday, 10-year-old Michelle and 7-year-old Hollie found a nephew’s skateboard at their home, and rode the green board to tragedy. Police say the pair rode their skateboard into the path of a pickup truck at about 2 p.m. Sunday, triggering an accident that killed Michelle and seriously injured Hollie, authorities said. "All I could say was, ‘Not again. Not again,’ " Mark Aguirre said. "When it happened before, I was 7 years old, and that was bad enough. This time, it’s even worse. "I can’t believe how people die in my family." The family was taking solace Monday in knowing that Michelle — a home-schooled tomboy who loved catching lizards and hated eating oranges — was able to push Hollie out of the truck’s way, sacrificing herself to help her sister escape. "That’s what Hollie told us. She saved her life. She’s a hero," said Mary Aguirre, the girls’ 29-year-old sister. "If we had lost both of them, that would have been too much." When Hollie and Michelle, who was known as Shelly, rode the skateboard, Michelle sat in front while Hollie held on from behind, Mark Aguirre said. The pair would hold their legs up and glide down the long, curving driveway, then drag their feet on the gravel before stopping just shy of the asphalt, he said. "Getting on that board was really fun for them," Mark Aguirre said. This time, however, it appears the pair traveled into the roadway and into the path of a F-350 pickup driven about 40 mph by neighbor Russell Wimmer, 35, Jackson County Sheriff’s Capt. Joe Puckett said. Thinking the kids would continue across the road, Wimmer swerved toward the driveway to avoid the kids, who turned into the truck’s path, Puckett said. The truck rolled and landed on Michelle, who was pronounced dead at the scene, he said. Hollie Aguirre was listed Monday in fair condition at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, where she was flown Sunday night for treatment. She suffered severe facial scratches, neck injuries and internal injuries, said Diane Solomon, OHSU spokeswoman. The death was ruled an accident and Wimmer was not cited, Puckett said. Family members were grasping for answers Monday, questioning why Wimmer had not swerved the other way, why the girls were in the truck’s path, even why they were able to find a skateboard to ride. "I know he didn’t do it on purpose," Mark Aguirre said. "No one kills little girls on purpose." On Oct. 3, 1990, Jed Timothy Aguirre died after he ran in front of a pickup truck on South Pacific Highway, near the family’s Phoenix home, according to newspaper reports. Family and friends who rallied behind the close-knit Aguirres after that tragedy were shocked Monday to revisit their grief from Jed’s death. His death, too, was ruled an accident and no citations were issued. "We were there with them when they lost their son," family friend Rita Kinsella said Monday. "My heart just fell when I saw that. I thought, ‘Oh, no. Not again.’ " The Aguirres were struggling Monday to grapple with their grief. Mark Aguirre stood in the driveway chopping wood, occasionally running his hands through the muddy puddles of the crash scene in search of Michelle’s missing shoe. Ed Aguirre, the family patriarch who was a pianist and preacher, suffered fainting spells as friends and family called upon the home. "He did come out and he chopped up the skateboard and threw it into the road to warn people to slow down," Mark Aguirre said. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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