CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Suffolk man killed while working as a landscaper along a busy Chesapeake roadway is being remembered by his family as a hardworking father, grandfather and brother who spent his life putting family first.
Chesapeake Police identified the victim as 60-year-old Guadalupe Rivera, who died Friday morning after a crash in the 400 block of Johnstown Road in the Great Bridge area.
According to police, officers responded around 9:49 a.m. to a serious crash involving a black sedan and a red SUV. Investigators said the sedan was traveling southbound on Johnstown Road at a high rate of speed when it collided with the SUV, which was turning onto Johnstown Road from Britwell Drive.
The collision caused the sedan to leave the roadway and strike Rivera, who was working nearby. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The drivers of both vehicles were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries.
Speaking with News 3's Erin Holly, Rivera's brother, Joe Rivera, said he was devastated when he learned what happened.
Rivera described his brother as someone who treated everyone with kindness and was always willing to help others.
"He was a great person. He was always kind to everybody," he said. "He would talk to anybody, try to help anybody he could."
The loss leaves behind a large family. According to his brother, Guadalupe Rivera had eight children and 33 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Rivera has been a landscaper in Hampton Roads for the past 15 years. He was a supervisor for Lawnmaster's of Virginia based in Chesapeake. While construction and landscaping work were a major part of his life, his family said his favorite place was wherever his loved ones were.
"When he didn't work, he just loved to be with family," Rivera said. "That's all he wants — cookouts, we love football — but most of the time it's just be with family."
His brother said Rivera took pride in showing up early, working hard and earning a living through honest work.
"My brother loved to do his job, punctual. Every morning we got up, we're up early, we don't be late," Rivera said. "He took it professionally."
The family is now calling for drivers to slow down and hopes changes can be made to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
"People always in a rush for no reason," Rivera said. "We just need to take time, slow down."
As they grieve, Rivera's loved ones say they will remember a man who valued love, loyalty and family above all else.
"He showed his kids the meaning of love, loyalty and family," Rivera said. "He devoted his life to his children."
The Chesapeake Police Crash Reconstruction Team continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. No charges have been announced, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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