An El Paso High School graduate was remembered for having a “kind soul, a beautiful smile, and a deeply caring heart for all” after she was killed by a driver who ran a red light, marking El Paso’s first traffic-related death of 2026.
Angelique Diaz de Leon, 18, was killed when her 2023 Chevrolet Camaro was struck by a Silverado pickup truck around 2 a.m. Thursday at Gateway North Boulevard and Sun Haggerty Drive Northeast, El Paso Police Department spokeswoman Adrian said.
Angelique Diaz de Leon, 18, died when another vehicle struck the vehicle she was riding in around 2 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1, at Gateway North and Sun Haggerty Drive in Northeast El Paso.
Officers responding to the two-vehicle crash found Diaz de Leon dead at the scene. An investigation revealed that a Silverado driven by Abel Garcia, 48, of Chaparral, New Mexico, failed to stop at a red light and rear-ended the Camaro, according to the news release.
“On January 1, 2026, our family lost a piece of our heart,” his family wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Our beautiful Angelique was taken from us too soon and our world will never be the same without her.
“Angelique is pure love. She had a kind soul, a beautiful smile, and a deeply caring heart for everyone around her. She was smart beyond her years, effortlessly funny, and never held a grudge in her heart. She always helped us, always showed up and always gave more love than we asked for in return.”
Nicholas Jasse Ramirez, 19, of Chaparral, was driving the Camaro and suffered minor injuries. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.
El Paso police investigators determined that Garcia’s failure to stop at a red light was a contributing factor to the collision. Alcohol is also suspected as a contributing factor, police said, but no further information has been released on whether Garcia faces criminal charges. He is not listed in jail records as of Tuesday, Jan. 6.
Angelique ‘brought light to our campus’
Officials at Transmountain Early College High School in the El Paso Independent School District posted a statement on their website saying Diaz de Leon “was on his way home when a drunk driver collided with the vehicle he was riding in.”
Diaz de Leon graduated as part of Early College’s spring class of 2025.
“Angelique joined TMECHS after applying in the fall of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said. “She returned to campus during a time full of uncertainty and became part of the first group of students to participate in the Individualized Summer Bridge Program in summer 2021. From the beginning, she showed determination, focus and resilience as she worked to earn both her high school diploma and Associate of Science degree.”
More: 1 person died in El Paso’s first reported fatal crash of 2026
She was remembered as a hard worker who always helped her fellow students.
“Angelique has carried a strong work ethic throughout her years at TMECHS,” the release said. “She supported her friends, stepped in when others needed help, and treated those around her with care and respect. Students and staff knew her as trustworthy, kind and uplifting. She brought light to our campus.
Angelique Diaz de Leon
“She embraced the academic rigor of an early college program. Angelique completed four years of high school while taking college classes at El Paso Community College. In spring 2025, she graduated from both EPCC and TMECHS, earning her associate degree and high school diploma.”
Diaz de Leon enrolled at Pima Medical Institute, where she plans to pursue a career in occupational therapy, the release said.
“We honor Angelique,” the statement concludes. “We miss her. She will always be a maverick.”
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He can be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared in the El Paso Times: ‘Kind soul, beautiful smile’ EPISD graduate dies in New Year’s crash
