Teenager Dies In East El Paso Motorcycle Wreck

Neighbors along the 7400 block of Wilcox in East El Paso described, hearing a motorcycle, a loud noise, and then silence.

Fernando Mendez, who has lived in the area for many years, said he ran from his house. He recognized the sound of a throttle wide-open on a motorcycle. As a rider himself, he says he knew something was wrong. Next came another loud noise he described as an explosion. By the time he made it outside, he saw a young 18-year-old Eric Estrada on the ground.

“I just felt bad for him, he’s an 18-year-old kid, he lives just a few houses down from us,” said Mendez.

According to police, the young man was riding a motorcycle east on Wilcox towards Hunter.

“He lost control for unknown reasons,” said Sgt. Chris Mears, a spokesperson with the El Paso Police Department. “He left the roadway, struck a wall in front of a house, and flew from the motorcycle. At that point he was tragically pronounced dead here at the scene.”

Mendez told ABC-7 he was the first to respond. He ran from his house hoping his CPR training would come in handy, instead he found a lifeless body.

“I’ve seen motorycycle accidents before, but nothing this bad.”

Estrada had lost a leg, according to Mendez, he wasn’t breathing. He was promptly covered by a sheet and medical teams came to pronounced him dead.

Mendez said he saw extensive damage to Estrada’s head. He was not wearing his helmet, information confirmed by Sgt. Mears. Mears added that speed appears to be a factor in the accident.

As for community members, they don’t know much about Estrada, aside from the fact he was a Riverside High School graduate. But this evening they’re finding it hard to believe how quickly a quiet Friday became memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Mendez, who had family members sitting on his porch moments after the scene, said they appeared to be taking the news hard.

“They’re very distraught, they’re talking to police and he’s very upset,” said Mendez.