What began as a family walk turned to tragedy when CSUN alumna Aracely Macedo, 26, was fatally hit by a car. The incident occurred along South Gate Park on Monday, Jan. 12 when the driver allegedly veered onto the sidewalk, driving recklessly.
“He injured another lady, and there’s another person that he knocked off a bike,” Mercado’s older sister, Aleyda Macedo, said to ABC7. “So he definitely had plenty of time to stop.”
Aracely was struck near the Southern Avenue entrance of South Gate Park, where the speed limit is set at 25 miles per hour. The sidewalks surrounding the park are heavily trafficked – a popular place for residents to get their daily steps in.
According to the Los Angeles Medical Examiner, Aracely’s cause of death was blunt trauma and has been labeled an accident, but the case remains open.
Now, the sisters are uniting on social media to demand justice for Aracely.
Maria Macedo began a petition calling for a criminal investigation to take place against the driver who struck Aracely. According to ABC7, the driver was “handcuffed and taken from the scene.” However, the sisters reported that the suspect was present at the hospital and later released from custody.
In her petition, Maria wrote the driver could possibly be a minor and insists there must be accountability for the loss of Aracely’s life. Currently, the petition has garnered over 250 signatures.
“Age should not excuse reckless behavior that results in death,” Maria stated. “When someone’s actions take a life, the public deserves assurance that the law is being fully enforced.”
South Gate Police Department Chief of Police Darren Arakawa confirmed the driver of the vehicle was a young male and that a second woman was also impacted by the crash. He believes the second victim was transported to the hospital, but is in stable condition.
Arakawa affirmed the investigation is ongoing.
“These types of investigations are very lengthy because we have to do a lot of analysis on the vehicle,” he said.
According to Arakawa, the department does not believe the driver was under the influence, however, blood samples have been taken to test whether or not alcohol or drugs were in his system at the time of the crash.
On her facebook page, another sister wrote that Aracely was “compassionate” and had plans for her future.
The CSUN alumna graduated in 2023 with a bachelors of arts in communication disorders sciences and services. In her graduation photos posted to Facebook where she smiled brightly, her cap read “The end of this chapter, but my story continues,” in Spanish.
According to Aracely’s LinkedIn, she worked with special needs children and was in the process of completing her clinical hours for speech language pathology.
A GoFundMe has been created for the Macedo family’s expenses following their unexpected loss, and has reached over 90% of its goal in 10 days.
“Aracely was a loving daughter, sister, and friend,” the GoFundMe reads. “She had a beautiful spirit, a kind heart, and a way of bringing warmth and laughter to everyone around her. She meant so much to so many people, and her absence leaves a pain that can never be replaced.”
