ANDERSON — The crowded living room of about 30 people with swollen eyes Friday night made one thing clear about 17-year-old Isaac Cardona: He was loved.
“He was always willing to make someone else laugh,” said close family friend Jamie Sierra.
Cardona, originally from a small Texas city, died at about 5:45 a.m. Friday morning at the scene of a one-car accident near the intersection of Nichol Avenue and Fountain Street. Madison County Coroner Ned Dunnichay said the teenager was not wearing a seat belt when he slammed into a tree. The car was ripped into two pieces by the impact.
Stephanie Flores, mother of Cardona’s son, said was the last person to speak to him at about midnight Friday. Relatives said Cardona was heading home from a friend’s house that morning.
“He was supposed to go with his mother to get a car that day,” Sierra said.
Cardona’s best friend 14-year-old Cindy Balderrama said he had his sights set on a white convertible Mustang.
“He was so excited about it,” Balderrama said.
In the house full of friends and family from Anderson and Texas, Cardona’s 16-month-old son —Angel Lee Cardona — was cushioned with hugs and kisses Friday night.
“He loved him so much,” Flores said. “He wanted him to be a boxer like him.”
Flores said Cardona had dropped out of Anderson High School in September, but planned to earn a GED and join the Army.
In the meantime, the teenager enjoyed dancing, basketball,
boxing at a local fitness center and riding horses.
“He just liked to have fun,” Rebecca Cardona said.
Rebecca had to admit that her safety was always her big brother’s concern.
“He was very protective of his sister,” Sierra said.
Voices hoarse from the day’s events, Cardona’s sister, cousin and friend fondly recalled a childhood trampoline game of calling to cars and then trying to hide without bouncing back up.
Interestingly enough, another of Cardona’s pastimes was testing his driving skills, Rebecca Flores said. But, she said, he didn’t put himself or anyone else in danger and was an effective driver.
“He’s really good with the wheel,” she said. “He’s good at moving the car around.”
By family and friend accounts, Cardona was quick with a smile and a kind word.
“He would never frown,” Sierra said.
And, Cardona’s most-known phrase came from his high school in Texas.
“If he was excited, he would say, ‘Go Jackets,’ Balderrama said.
Funeral details were not finalized Friday night, but Sierra said there would be a memorial service in Anderson, and Cardona would be buried in Elsa, Texas.
Contact Christina M. Wright, 640-4883, christina.wright@heraldbulletin.com.
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