Sheldon Gutierrez-Rangel was killed July 23 in a collision between a FedEx truck and a train in Hill County.
When “The Odyssey” premiered in Dallas this month, Sheldon Gutierrez-Rangel was ecstatic. The 25-year-old was so thrilled about the film that he saw it in theaters – twice, his brother, Alex Gutierrez, told The Dallas Morning News this week.
“That’s all he talked about,” he said with a laugh. “I had to shut him up about it.”
Less than a week after seeing the movie, Gutierrez-Rangel was killed after a train struck a FedEx truck in Hill County, Texas, south of Dallas-Fort Worth. He worked as a delivery driver and was about to hit the one-year mark of working at the transportation company in October, his brother said.
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Gutierrez-Rangel was riding as a passenger in the truck and died from his injuries. The driver was in critical condition after the crash, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
FedEx previously told The Dallas Morning News last week that the investigation into the crash’s cause is active, deferring questions to local authorities.
“We are deeply saddened at the loss of our team member. Our thoughts remain with their family and loved ones, and with our other team member as they recover from their injuries. This remains an active investigation, and we refer any additional questions to local authorities,” FedEx said in a statement.
The cause of the crash is being investigated by DPS.
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Gutierrez, 23, remembered his older brother as the epitome of a “good brother and good son,” in an interview with The Dallas Morning News.
“He took care of us. Whenever we were hungry or if we wanted to go somewhere, he’d take us,” Gutierrez said. “He just found a way to make everyone feel happy and safe.”
The brothers grew up in Oak Cliff and attended Justin F. Kimball High School. Gutierrez-Rangel was the oldest of three sons, with Gutierrez and another younger brother, 20-year-old Giovanni Gutierrez.
“He was definitely a brother who would always make people feel comfortable,” Alex Gutierrez said. “He was very accepting of people. He would always find a way to get along with someone or find a reason to invite someone out to eat. He was like a brother to everyone.”
Wreck in Hill County
On July 23, a FedEx manager called Gutierrez-Rangel’s mother about the accident. Alarmed, she handed the phone to Gutierrez.
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“They had just told her that he was in an accident,” Gutierrez recalled. “I remember my mom panicking, because that’s the last thing you want to hear — that your son was in an accident at work.”
Gutierrez dialed the number for an officer at the scene, who told him what had happened.
“I was in disbelief,” Gutierrez said. “I kept on asking the officer if he was positive. I didn’t want to believe it.”
The last time he saw his brother was the night before the crash, when he dropped off fast food for him.
Brother remembers his ‘old soul’
Beyond being devoted to his family, the 25-year-old was an “old soul” who was extroverted with the people closest to him, especially with his mother, Gutierrez said. He was known for taking his parents out to try different foods.
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Gutierrez-Rangel loved anime and movies, and could be found wearing shirts with iconic rock bands like Guns N’ Roses and Mötley Crüe.
“We’d go out to watch new movies, anything geeky or dorky like Transformers or Superman or anything nerdy,” Gutierrez said.
At home, two dogs rarely left his side.
Suki, an Australian shepherd, was known as his dog, while Luna, a husky mix, belonged to the family. He spoiled them both, taking them to the veterinarian when needed and buying them treats. The inseparable dogs, which Gutierrez-Rangel called “my girls,” spent most of their time in his room.
Gutierrez said he and his family have not heard from FedEx or Union Pacific directly. FedEx did not immediately respond Tuesday afternoon to follow-up questions sent by email.
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Union Pacific did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
“There are a lot of things that we don’t know about, but we really, my family would really like to hear something from these companies,” Gutierrez said. “We just want the word out there.”
The family created a GoFundMe to go toward funeral and burial expenses, which has raised over $5,700 as of Tuesday afternoon.