Posted on 07/18/2023 7:31:22 AM PDT by Red Badger
A 27-year-old homeless woman was killed recently when a lawnmower ran over her while she was sleeping in a park in Modesto, California.
Christine Chavez was killed in Beard Brook Park on July 8, according to KXTV-TV.
“My mom had to pick up pieces of her. That’s not correct,” Randy Chavez, the victim’s brother, said, according to the Modesto Bee.
“We want ordinances to change so it doesn’t happen again. Regardless if they are homeless they are still people and should be treated the same as any other people,” he said.
The park had been public, and at one time was an authorized area for homeless people to sleep. It is now private land owned by the E.&J. Gallo Winery in a deal that was completed the day before Chavez was killed.
Gallo representative Krista Noonan said the winery hired a contractor “to perform weed abatement and fire prevention services.”
The statement described Chavez’s death as “an accident at approximately 12:00 p.m. involving the contractor’s tractor and an individual who was not visible and laying in a tall, weeded area.”
Sharon Bear, a representative of the Modesto Police Department, said a Grover Landscape Services employee was using a riding John Deere tractor with a pull-behind mower when the incident took place, according to KXTV.
The company issued a statement that said, “In a dry, overgrown area, our operator discovered the body of a woman impacted by the pull-behind mower.”
Dez Martinez, an advocate for the homeless who founded the group CEO & We Are Not Invisible said last week during a memorial service for Chavez that she was disgusted by what had taken place, saying that five days after Chavez was killed, the area was “still not cordoned off. It’s not taped off. There’s no one here to pick up the remaining parts that are still here.”
Martinez said homeless people sleep at high noon because it is safe.
“We have to stay up all night because it’s dangerous to sleep at night. You might be raped, stabbed, murdered,” she said. “When the daytime comes, it’s time to go to sleep, it’s broad daylight, there’s a lot of traffic, a lot of people, what’s going to happen to me?”
Christopher Chavez was angry over the way his daughter’s death has been treated, according to KYMA-TV.
“I know that, if you are driving a tractor, you can see even if…the small ropes. You see, I mean…one person. You will see one person in front of you,” Chavez said.
“I keep going because I need to. I, I, I’m looking for justice, and I’m going to, I’m going to be there until, until something happens.” Chavez added.
Martinez said the victim deserves to be remembered as a person, not an object, according to KCRA-TV.
“Just because people are unhoused, it doesn’t mean they don’t have family. It doesn’t mean they’re not somebody’s daughter or son,” Martinez said.
“She was a beautiful girl, beautiful young girl. She had a family that loved her, and, and, and for the trauma that they’re going to have to endure for the rest of their lives, this is, this is visions they will never get out of their head,” Martinez added, according to KYMA.
I was going to make a cutting remark, but I will abstain.
Man, that’s just sad all around. I can’t imagine what the driver of the mower must be tormented with. Parents losing a child, the young lady living in the streets, it’s just all sad.
Sounds like a good way to get mowed down by people in the comments section who feel your comment was in poor taste.
“She was a beautiful girl, beautiful young girl. She had a family that loved her, and, and, and for the trauma that they’re going to have to endure for the rest of their lives, this is, this is visions they will never get out of their head,” Martinez added, according to KYMA.
That’s great she had family who loved her. Why in the sam hill was she “homeless”? Why didn’t this loving family give her a place to live, if they were so loving and caring? If she was going through a rough time, why didn’t they help her? God knows how dangerous the streets are. They were ok with her being out in the streets?
How much did they care about her before she got killed?
If they were so loving, why would they let her be homeless? Why was she homeless?
A rather callous headline
Family is so upset about their poor daughter getting run over by a lawn-mower, but clearly didn't prevent her from doing drugs, nor did they mind her being homeless and sleeping rough in public parks
Now they found an entity with very good corporate liability insurance coverage. Jackpot!
Had to be a brush hog mowing high grass/weeds. Driver would not have seen her if it was a large tractor.
I should of thought about it mower before I posted it.
Sad story all around yet it appears that the family cares about her more now that she died tragically.
I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. There was a grandfather who had his grandson on the tractor with him while mowing. Kid fell off the back of the tractor. Grandpa didn’t see him fall... horrible.
Perhaps, like many others, she was homeless because she chose to be.
That’s the untold story.
Yes, it’s sad this girl was killed. But why was she homeless in the first place? I have not seen any media stories on that. Was she a drug addict, had uncontrolled mental illness, was she a prostitute, had she burned bridges with her allegedly loving family, so they kicked her out of the house, and that’s why she didn’t have a place to live?
All of these issues are important to the story, but are not being discussed.
Sharp move.
Yes, it certainly would be funny if someone hadn’t died in a horrific accident.
I think you are thinking about it mulch more, now!
It’s how we deal with things.
Your post asked all the right questions. I asked myself these questions yesterday when I saw the article. The family ought to be quiet as EVERYONE will want to know those answers!! So much hand wringing and gnashing of teeth when they need to look in a mirror!!!
She was a junkie passed out in the park which is just a giant homeless camp.
The only concern the family now has is that they get a payday.
remarks like that will get you cut down to size.
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