SAN FRANCISCO — When Ashley Dias was struck and killed by a car outside Stanley Middle School last month, it hit home for former Warriors player Zaza Pachulia.
Pachulia’s sons attend the same Lafayette school, and sixth-grader Saba witnessed the gruesome accident that took the life of Dias, 44, who had only started volunteering because his niece was walking to school.
So on Thursday night, the Warriors hosted the family in courtside seats, arranged by Pachulia, who’s moved into an executive role with the organization since retiring.
“My youngest son saw the whole thing in front of his eyes,” Pachulia said. “We’ve had some really tough days. The tragedy touched all of us. It’s devastating to see.”
Stephen Curry came over to greet Vanessa Dias, Ashley’s sister, and her daughter, Angelique, the niece of Ashley, who was also his god-daughter.
Curry was the first person with the Warriors to connect with the family after the tragedy; he called them over FaceTime, but they were able to meet in person Thursday, a small reassurance amid a crisis the family is still processing.
#Warriors are hosting family of crossing guard Ashley Dias, who was struck and killed by a driver in a car outside Stanley Middle School in Lafayette last month.
Steph Curry meets his niece, a student at the school. pic.twitter.com/LLpGecpRsY
— Evan Webeck (@EvanWebeck) October 29, 2021
Ashley, who lived in San Francisco but stayed with his parents, a block away from the campus, during the school week, so that he could volunteer. He was the “ultimate” Bay Area sports fan, Vanessa said. His teams were the Warriors, Giants and 49ers. As a Warriors season-ticket holder in 2018, he took Vanessa to her first NBA Finals game.
“I know he’s watching from up there and he’s probably very jealous,” Vanessa said, while watching Warriors players warm-up from the baseline. “He was the greatest guy, that’s all I can say. He loved to laugh, he loved to have fun and he loved his Bay Area sports teams. The only thing missing is him here right now.”
Dias’ lost his life when a driver in a Chevrolet Suburban blew through a crosswalk as the second school day of the year was letting out. Before he was hit, Dias pushed a group of children to safety, witnesses said.
Dias started volunteering this past spring. To start this school year, a supervisor requested he man a different crossing. On his second day, tragedy struck.
“You’re a block from your house, you’re in a crosswalk in front of a school, with hundreds of children around you, and you can get run over,” Vanessa said. “I have no words to say how I feel about that. Like how can that happen?”
Pachulia was having difficulty processing the tragedy himself.
“I’m so grateful to the Dias family for raising this kind of son, because that could have easily been my kid,” Pachulia said. “I’m still getting goosebumps, to be honest. He’s a true hero. I’m never going to forget it. The way he saved those three angels’ lives, he put his life on the line.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com