Friends gather at railroad crossing to remember Jackie
Gamboa
Gilroy – Friends and co-workers of 18-year-old Jackie Gamboa gathered at a wooden cross near the railroad tracks at San Pedro Avenue to pray and remember the radiant young woman, killed when the truck she was riding in was struck by an oncoming train Monday night.
“If I wish I could have loved anyone, it would have been her,” said Robert Brancato, who came to the site to pay his respects to his friend.
Those who loved the petite teen all painted the same picture of her: Sweet. Happy. Beautiful.
“She was such a sweet, sweet girl,” said Carlota Martinez who worked with Gamboa at Fox Racing. “A beautiful lady.”
After learning of the death of her co-worker, Martinez and others came to the cross to grieve.
“We saw her yesterday. It’s very hard for us. We come to pray for her,” she said. “This morning when we got to work we found out. We’ve been crying all day for her.”
Meanwhile, Morgan Hill police are investigating the accident, which left the driver of the pick up, Morgan Hill resident Nathan Schrock, 20, in critical condition. He regained consciousness Tuesday but remains in critical but stable condition, police said.
According to friends, Gamboa and Schrock had been a couple for the past three years.
The complete investigation may take months, as police wait to speak with Schrock, who witnesses say drove through warning signals and around closed gates at the crossing. The couple’s GMC Sonoma was struck by a southbound commuter train, which Schrock apparently never saw coming, police said.
The incidents leading up to the tragic accident began about 7pm as Schrock headed southbound on Railroad Avenue. When he got to Tennant Avenue he saw the railroad arms down for an oncoming northbound freight train.
Schrock and a truck in front of him both made U-turns and headed back north on Railroad, apparently in an attempt to beat the northbound train to the next intersection at San Pedro Avenue, police said.
When they arrived the gates were down, and Schrock was behind the other truck at the crossing.
Witnesses told police that he apparently became impatient and drove around the pickup in front of him and around the railroad arms. The driver of the first pickup yelled for Schrock to stop. A second train heading southbound saw the pickup and tried to stop, but plowed through the truck, splitting it in half. The bed of the truck ended up 150 feet down the rails.
Gamboa was ejected from the truck and pronounced dead at the scene. Schrock suffered serious trauma to the head and a gash to the thigh. He was flown to Regional Medical Center in San Jose.
Police are waiting for toxicology and alcohol reports for Schrock, which may take several weeks.
“Obviously, he is a big part of the investigation, and we cannot interview him when he is medicated or in any kind of altered state of consciousness,” said Cmdr. Joe Sampson of the Morgan Hill Police Department. “This is very sad. Two young lives have really been destroyed. He will have to live forever with this.”
Once he is interviewed and test results are available, a full report will be given to the District Attorney’s office which will determine whether or not to press charges. Going through railroad warning signs is illegal.
Schrock could face vehicular manslaughter charges, which could bring a prison term of up to six years, police said.
The engineer is being provided with counseling services. Rail traffic was stopped until the train was released about 10pm.
“This is just an unfortunate and tragic error in judgment in the part of this young man,” Sampson said.
Family members consoled each other Tuesday and declined to speak with the Dispatch, saying that the matter was private.
“It’s a tragedy,” friends said as they gathered on the sidewalks of the Gamboa home. They erected a large wooden cross with pictures of the beautiful young woman at various stages of her young life. It was later placed at the San Pedro Avenue crossing.
News of Gamboa’s death caused staff members to break into tears at Mount Madonna Continuation High School, where she graduated last year.
Journalism teacher Marina Campos grew very close with Gamboa during her senior year.
“I want to give my condolences to the family,” she said clasping a tissue. “She was like a shining light … She was radiant … She was just that one student you just won’t forget. I won’t forget. You won’t forget her face, you just won’t forget her smile.”
Campos described a student eager to please her teachers, making sure she did the job right – a woman whose personality was bigger than her petite frame.
“The essence of her beauty was just the type of person she was,” Campos said. “I am just shocked. This is probably the second time in my career that I can really feel the pain – and it’s not easy. I feel very much for the family. I would tell her, ‘Jackie – I love you,’ And I meant it. I meant it every time.”
Gamboa worked in the front office with Mt. Madonna staff and was close to former Principal John Perales, who met frequently with her and her mother to work with her towards reaching her goal of graduating.
She spoke of one day attending junior college.
“Her boyfriend I know, was a big part of her life,” he said. “I just remember her passion for life. She just loved spending time with her family and friends. We spent a lot of time together dreaming and justifying why she was working so hard,” he said. “Nothing was impossible for Jackie. She could conquer the world tomorrow.”
