Fifteen-year-old Santa Ynez Valley Union High School student Carina Dee Velazquez, who was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking across Highway 246 near Refugio Road after school in 2015, was honored Tuesday morning.
Velazquez’s family was joined by 3rd District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann, Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, Santa Barbara County Public Works Department and Santa Ynez Valley trail advocates during a ribbon-cutting celebration and plaque dedication ceremony along the Refugio Road Trail outside of Santa Ynez Valley High School, where a segment of the trail now is named the “Carina Dee Velazquez Memorial Path.”
In a written letter to the board of supervisors prior to the ceremony, Velazquez’s father remembered his daughter.
“It’s been eight-plus years since we lost our daughter, and we’ve been missing a piece of our hearts every day,” he said. “My hope is that the path will be a safe place for people to walk and ride bikes away from traffic and that no other families have to suffer the loss of a family member in this way.”
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 3 unanimously voted to name a segment of the Refugio Road Trails Restoration Project in honor of Velazquez.
The Refugio Road Trails Restoration Project, a joint effort between the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department and the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade, is a multi-modal trail that stretches across Refugio Road between SYVUHS and Baseline Road — previously identified in the Santa Ynez Valley Community Plan to provide a safe route to Santa Ynez High School.
Tuesday’s celebration also marked the completion of the first phase of the overall restoration project for which Hartmann secured $250,000 with support from local organizations and residents. The trail segment runs from Highway 246 to Samantha Road.
“I am pleased to debut this project on behalf of the community and neighbors who identified this as a priority-project for the Valley,” Hartmann said. “Creating safe pathways for pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians for commuting and recreation is a high priority for me.”