MYRA JO ROSE

SAFE DRIVING ADVOCATE DIES
AFTER CAR IS HIT SUNDAY

IRONY HURTS VICTIMS FRIENDS

By Amanda Arthur
The Daily Times-Call

The music died for many Longmont children Sunday, March 4, 2001: They lost their piano teacher--and champion--in a fatal car accident. Myra Jo Dreyer, 53, was killed instantly when a Chevrolet Suburban rear-ended her husband's Ford Escort, pushing it into a Ford Taurus at the intersection of Colorado 52 and Weld County Road 19.

Her husband, Donald Dreyer, a local veterinarian, was injured in the accident and released from Denver Health Medical Center on Monday morning. The driver of the two other cars involved in the accident fled the scene and left their cars behind, according to police reports.

Master Trooper Ron Watkins of the Colorado State Patrol said the force of the crash wedged all three vehicles together. Police arrested one of the drivers, Isaias Hernandez, 51, of Dacono, at  his home Monday afternoon.

"He was the one that actually caused the accident," Watkins said.

Hernandez is being held on suspicion of various charges, including hit and run causing death, careless driving causing death and driving on a revoked license, Watkins said. Watkins said Hernandez was driving a Chevrolet Suburban, and apparently rear-ended the Dreyer's car, pushing it into a Ford Taurus in front of them, causing a chain-reaction accident.

"All three cars were westbound. The Taurus apparently slowed to make a right turn, and the Suburban plowed into the Dreyer's car," he said. He said preliminary investigations show that Hernandez was probably speeding. "We can't reveal why he fled the scene yet, because that is all part of an ongoing investigation."

The driver of the Taurus--and a passenger in the car--have not yet been located by state troopers because the license plates on the car did not match the vehicle, he said.

IRONY HURTS VICTIM'S FRIENDS

 People who knew Dreyer said it is tragically ironic that she was killed in a car accident.

"She was one of the original members--a founder of RAD, Responsible Adult Drivers," said Karen Yacono, executive director of human resources for t he St. Vrain Valley School District.

"Her work with the program actually came out of a death of a close friend of hers in a car accident. Her efforts were absolutely undying. She took something bad and tried to make something good come out of it," she said. RAD is a school-district-sponsored program that works to educate teens on responsible driving habits, a cause Dreyer readily championed. She also worked "tirelessly" on a program that rewarded teens for wearing seat belts, Yacono said.

In a letter to the editor at the Times-Call, Dreyer once wrote, "Having lost my grandfather, two friends, and a piano student in car accidents, I know the heartbreak and loss when a loved one dies in a tragic way. Please, for your own sake, buckle up and arrive alive wherever you are going."

Yacono said, "This woman had more energy and vitality. The fact that she died in a car accident is unfathomable."

Dreyer also worked with the Sunshine Club to provide dental care to needy children in Longmont. One of Dreyer's greatest contributions was of a cultural nature. She taught many Longmont children how to play the piano, and served for a time as president of the St. Vrain Music Association. In a guest column she penned for the Times-Call, she wrote, "For children, the excitement and thrill of hearing a professional musician cannot be overemphasized."

She supported an effort to build a cultural center in Longmont, and rejoiced when the Vance Brand Auditorium was built in conjunction with Skyline High School.  Gretchen Beall of the Longmont Council of Arts said she admired Dreyer for several things she did with her life.

"She taught I don't know how many piano students out of her home, but at one time, she was teaching 40 students at the same time. She influenced countless people in that way and had many wonderful dimensions to her and was a peaceful and generous human being."

State troopers are seeking information leading to the driver and the passenger of the Ford Taurus. Anyone with information is asked to call (970) 506-4999.
 

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