Family told to leave Iraq veteran in ICU after motorcycle crash

Iraq veteran died after motorcycle crash
KFOX
By: Bill Melugin
December 5 2013

EL PASO, Texas -- The 34-year-old man who was injured over the weekend when his motorcycle struck a median along Lee Trevino Drive near Rojas has died. Daniel Vanegas, a former Fort Bliss soldier and three time Iraq War veteran, died Wednesday evening while in the hospital, said Venegas' family members.

El Paso police said Vanegas suffered a serious head injury when his 2006 green and black Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with a median. He was taken to Del Sol Medical Center. KFOX14 spoke with Vanegas' family the day before he passed way.

They alleged that a nurse at Del Sol made an already difficult experience even harder for the family.

Daniel's mother, Maria Vanegas, lives in San Antonio, and flew into El Paso as soon as she heard the news. "I got the call at 3 a.m Sunday morning about my son's accident," Vanegas said. "As soon as we got here, we went to see Daniel in the intensive care unit."

Other family members had flown in as well, some from California. Vanegas told KFOX14 many of them were waiting to see Daniel in the ICU waiting room when a nurse allegedly approached them with two security guards, and told them to leave so the room could be cleaned. "My daughter in law said 'Well I'm his wife,', they said 'Well you can stay, we can accommodate you, but everyone else can go home,' and I said 'Wait a minute, what about me? I'm his mother, I have a right to be with my son," Vanegas said.

"She said, 'Well this is not a hotel, you should've made arrangements to stay, and planned ahead."
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