(Friends and family of Jennie Gervasio hold a rally recently on Main Street near Auto Center Drive. Contributed photo)
By ERIK CHALHOUB, Managing Editor
It’s been nearly two months since Jennie Gervasio was struck and killed as she was riding her bicycle on Main Street near Auto Center Drive.
Family members say witnesses saw two vehicles drag racing in the area, while police say there is no evidence of drag racing and Gervasio “came out of nowhere” into the path of the moving vehicle.
The investigation is still ongoing, but it’s not proceeding as fast as the family wants it to.
Gervasio’s family and friends have gathered at the scene of the incident on a frequent basis, hoping to draw the public’s attention to the fact that the investigation is not yet over.
Gervasio’s longtime friend Kathy Sabala called me the other day and said that Gervasio would not just run into a moving vehicle, and she knew the roads “like the back of her hand.”
“We want to let people know that we are trying to get justice,” she said.
Gervasio’s niece Annette Melendrez said her aunt’s life was “taken too soon.”
“There will be no more ‘good morning,’ ‘l love you,’ ‘how are you,’ ‘I am coming to see you in a bit,’” she said. “All her loved ones deal with this reality every day.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Watsonville Police Department at 471-1151, the anonymous tip line at 768-3544, or the Watsonville Police Department’s Investigations Bureau at 768-3352.
I don’t know what the end result of this investigation will be, but I hope it gives Gervasio’s family and friends some closure.
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I attended the first “Wonderful Women of Watsonville” event put on by Pajaro Valley Community Alliance and Watsonville Regional Airport Promotion last week.
It was an upbeat gathering at the Watsonville Elks Lodge, meant to honor the women who dedicate so much of their lives to the betterment of the city.
I was especially glad to see Pajaronian intern Abigail Acosta receive the Lorraine E. Stucki Educational Scholarship. She is very deserving of the honor, and it is young people like her that give me hope for the future.
I look forward to future iterations of this event.
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Tuesday is Halloween, and parents, make sure your trick-or-treaters have a safe and fun time. Don’t leave home without a flashlight, and take several extra precautions when crossing streets. It’s dark out there, and drivers will have a hard time seeing small ghosts and goblins, especially those dressed in dark costumes.
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Erik Chalhoub can be reached at 761-7353 or [email protected].
