$6.2-Million Award Can’t Stem Family’s Grief : Courts: Petra Hernandez, killed when a truck smashed into her car in 1989, was a ‘model mother,’ relatives and friends say.

The children of a 29-year-old Fillmore woman who was killed in a car accident last year took little comfort Thursday from a jury award of more than $6.2 million for the loss of their mother.

Nothing can replace their mother’s love and support, they said.

“She was a special mom,” said Salvador Hernandez, the 14-year-old son of Petra Hernandez. “Now it’s like a piece of the puzzle is missing in our lives.”

Bibiano Hernandez, 12, added:

“She was a great mom and we miss her. She was always there. She made sure we had a hot meal.”

Petra Hernandez, described by friends and family members as the “model mother,” was killed July 10, 1989, when a truck crossed the double yellow line on a portion of California 126 known locally as “Blood Alley” and drove over the top of her car.

Her four children and husband, Guadalupe Hernandez, sued Clarke Contracting Corp. and Lew Construction and Clarke, the owners of the truck, which was driven by Hector Diaz. Diaz, who survived the crash, was on his way to work as part of a construction crew widening the dangerous highway.

Neither officials for the corporation nor the attorney representing their insurance company, CNA, could be reached for comment.

The jury award was announced Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court. But the children and the husband did not learn of the judgment until Thursday because they do not have a phone in their three-room house in the small farming community of Fillmore.

The four children, ages 3 to 14, will split about $5.4 million plus interest if the jury award is sustained on appeal. The remainder of the money will go to the father, an unemployed mechanic.

When told of the award, Guadalupe Hernandez was somber.

“Nothing will replace my wife’s love,” he said in Spanish. “She was a good mother, a good spouse. She was everything to us. Things will never be the same.”

The family’s attorneys had originally requested $11.5 million. But they said Thursday that they are pleased with the judgment, which they said was similar to other recent jury awards in similar cases.

“It’s fair,” said attorney Drew Ryce. “It could have gone higher, but justice was applied.”

Attorney David A. Pash added:

“The jury did the best they could in putting an economic value on something that is impossible to put a price tag on.”

Pash said he expects CNA, which would have to pay the judgment, to appeal. But he said he expects the judgment to remain intact.

He said the bulk of the money will be placed in special trust funds for the children. Some of it will be set aside for their college educations.

Salvador Hernandez, a student at Fillmore High School, said his mother always encouraged him to excel in school.

“She said if we didn’t go to school, we would never end up having a good life,” he said. “She wanted me to be a good person who works hard.”

Salvador said his fondest memories of his mother come from the times that she took him to the park to teach him how to play baseball.

“She encouraged us to be athletic,” Salvador said. “She did not want us to roam the streets. She didn’t want us to be gangsters.”

Petra Hernandez, who worked part time serving food at Magic Mountain, was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had received special praise from church officials for her parenting skills. Once a week she taught parenting classes at the Fillmore church.

“She was very loving and willing to go the extra mile, not only for her kids but for anybody,” said Debbie Burnett, a church member. “It’s a great loss, something that can’t be replaced.”