The family of 50 year old Sammy Castaneda shared memories of him. Lubbock Police said Castaneda was killed in a multi-vehicle wreck at 50th and Indiana Avenue Sunday evening.
“He was a great man. He was the kind of person that would literally give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it, and he would have expected nothing in return,” Samuel Castaneda, Sammy’s son, said.
According to Lubbock Police, Castaneda was sitting on his motorcycle at the intersection of 50th and Indiana Avenue Sunday night around 6:30 p.m. when he was rear-ended by a Ford F-150.
Police said the impact sent both vehicles into the intersection, where they collided with two more cars.
Castaneda was taken to University Medical Center and later died, according to police.
Lubbock Police said the driver of the pickup truck, James Pritchard, 49, had minor injuries and was also taken to UMC. After he was released from the hospital, police said he was arrested on a manslaughter charge. Police said they believe Pritchard was under the influence and alcohol was a factor in the crash.
According to court records, Pritchard had been arrested for DWI two times before, including once in August 2016.
“This guy had faults, he was wrong. He made a mistake that cost somebody their life, cost a family their backbone, and not just one family, I’m talking about everyone that was related to him [Castaneda], saw him as a person who was a backbone for them,” Samuel said.
Samuel said now, he just wants his dad to know he’s thankful for everything he’s done for him.
“[Castaneda] sacrificed all of the things that he wanted to do because he knew that his goal was to make his wife, his daughter, and his son happy,” Samuel said. “I just want to say thank you for that, because without a role model like him, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”
