LOS ANGELES, California — Juan Manuel Sanchez Salas had just come home to eat lunch. Minutes later, he was gone.
The 18-year-old stepped out of his home on a quiet Tuesday afternoon and headed toward Vermont Avenue — just three blocks away. He never made it back.
A multi-vehicle crash at Vermont Avenue and 97th Street in the Westmont area of South LA claimed his life that day, leaving a family shattered and a community demanding answers.
‘He had so many ambitious goals’
Juan Manuel had moved to Los Angeles from Mexico less than a year ago. He came to be with his father and to build something better — studying English, going to the gym, working hard, and even cutting hair on the side.
“He would just go to school, to the gym. From there, he would come home and go to work again,” said his cousin Maria Sanchez.
By every account, he was driven, responsible, and full of life.
“He was pretty cool. I know he was a really hardworking guy,” Maria added.
His mother and two siblings are still in Mexico. His father is now alone in the United States.
What happened on Vermont Avenue
According to the California Highway Patrol, a driver in a Suburban was speeding southbound on Vermont Avenue around 2 p.m. Tuesday when he slammed into a traffic pole and an Audi.
The Suburban then flipped over and smashed into several other vehicles — including the car Juan Manuel was in.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
CHP investigators say the driver is in his 70s and may have been experiencing a medical emergency at the time of the crash. He and his passenger were both taken to the hospital in critical condition, where they remain.
‘Nothing is done’ — family wants justice
For the Sanchez family, grief is mixed with a desperate need for accountability.
Juan Manuel’s cousin says his death cannot simply be accepted without consequence.
“It sucks that he’s gone because he had so many ambitious goals, and he couldn’t accomplish most of them,” Maria Sanchez said.
“We really want justice for what happened because it wouldn’t be fair to just let it be, and nothing is done.”
The investigation is ongoing. CHP has not yet announced any charges against the driver.
A life cut short, three blocks from home
Juan Manuel Sanchez Salas was 18 years old. He came to America with a plan — school, work, a future. He made it less than a year before a single moment took everything away.
His family is mourning. His father is grieving alone. And a neighborhood is left asking how something like this could happen so close to home.
If you have any information related to this crash, contact the California Highway Patrol.
Did this story hit close to home for you? Share your thoughts in the comments — this family deserves to know their son’s story is being heard.
