‘Bright light’: Teen who died at North Texas track meet mourned by school family, friends

A North Texas teen who died earlier this month during a track meet in Haltom City is described as a compassionate athlete who was an inspiration to those around him.

Angel Hernandez, 16, was a member of the Chisholm Trail High School’s track team, according to a statement on the campus’ athletics website. Chisolm Trail is a school in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD.

“He worked hard and was an amazing teammate,” the statement read. “We lost Angel at the District XC Meet and words cannot express our feelings for him and his family.”

People at the meet, which was held Oct. 13 in Halton City, told WFAA-TV (Channel 8) they saw Hernandez collapse shortly after crossing the finish line. He was helped up, but “collapsed again,” according to the news report. The manner and cause of Hernandez’ death is being determined by the Tarrant County Medical examiner’s office. He died shortly after 10:30 a.m. at a Fort Worth-area hospital, the medical examiner’s website showed.

“Though we are left with heavy hearts, we must also remember the bright light that Angel brought into our lives. His memory will serve as a source of inspiration, reminding us to live each day to the fullest, to cherish our loved ones, and to never take life for granted,” the obituary stated.

A GoFundMe dedicated to his family had raised nearly $13,000 as of Sunday afternoon.

“We are all completely devastated by the loss of Angel too early in life,” the post read.