Balloon release to be held at Desmond Landing Friday for man killed in traffic crash

Editor's note: A previous version of this story misidentified a source as Christopher Hernandez's sister. She is not his sister and her attribution has been removed. 

Loved ones of a man who died in a traffic crash Sunday will honor him with a balloon release at Desmond Landing Friday night. 

Christopher Joel Hernandez, 23, of Clyde Township, died following a single-vehicle crash in Burtchville Township.

The balloon release will take place at 7 p.m. and everyone is welcome.

His loved ones described him as a positive, fun-loving person who was always laughing, smiling and cracking jokes. 

"He was a good soul," said his father, Steven Hernandez. 

Cynthia Jones, Christopher Hernandez's grandmother, said her grandson came from a large, loving family. 

"Chris was very, very much loved by many people," Jones said. 

He loved working on and driving cars and motorcycles. Christopher Hernandez's best friend, Diego Olvera, said he loved restoring his blue 1969 Ford Fairlane. 

Olvera and Hernandez have been best friends since the day Olvera started at Central Middle School in sixth grade. 

"We were never apart since that day," Olvera said. 

Christopher Hernandez has many close-knit friends that he has known since middle or high school, his loved ones said. Olvera said he saw his friends and girlfriend every day, and made every decision with them. 

“We were his life, we were his best friends, we were his family," Olvera said. "That’s why it hurts so much to know he’s really gone.”

Steven Hernandez said his son was also a hard worker. He worked at Pink Energy installing solar panels. 

Rescue crews were dispatched to the 4500 block of Burtch Road shortly after 2:35 a.m. for the crash. St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King said alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash. 

Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com.