Family, Friends Mourn Contra Costa Man Killed In Wrong-Way Crash

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — She saved him a plate of food from Friday's dinner as she often did. It was the last time she would see him.

Saturday marks three weeks since Jennifer Manoguerra's little brother — her only sibling— Christopher "Bud" Cannedy was killed in a collision with a wrong-way driver on state Highway 4 in Antioch.

Around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, 22-year-old Andres Hernandez, an Oakley resident, was driving his blue Scion TC coupe westbound — the wrong way — in the eastbound lanes of Highway 4 near Lone Tree Way, according to the California Highway Patrol and the Contra Costa Coroner's Office.

At the same time, Cannedy, 35, was driving a black Mazda 3 sedan eastbound —the right way— in the eastbound lanes and the two cars collided head-on, according to the CHP.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene.

"I saw him the night before; he always got off work around 5 p.m. and came to get food," Manoguerra said. "We all live in Antioch and we saw each other five days a week, he was a very big part of our lives."

At 4 a.m. that morning, Cannedy, 35, dropped off his dog, a Husky named Bain, at their parent's house. Then he started driving toward Safeway in Brentwood, where he worked since he was 18 years old.

"We're a Safeway family," Manoguerra explained. "My mom worked at Safeway; I met my husband while I worked at Safeway."

She got up that morning and read the news online like she often does. She read about a fatal crash on Highway 4 near Antioch. It did not immediately occur to her that it might be her brother.

Around 11 a.m., her mother got a call from Safeway because Christopher had not shown up for work that morning. Early that afternoon, two Antioch police officers came to her mother's door and confirmed their fears.

"I miss his texts ... we had a group text with my mom and texted almost every day," Manoguerra told Patch in a phone interview this week. "He would send pictures of either a dog or food, that was it. So me and my mom would send pictures of our dogs and joke around with him."

In one photo, Christopher is grinning ear to ear as all three dogs pose with him.

"Everyone was a mess, we are still a mess," she said. "He was a big part of our lives, we had dinners together almost every day .... and he was always making everyone laugh."

He was also humble, she said.

"He was an amazing brother and uncle to my kids," Manoguerra said. "He helped everyone in his path ... I'm just now hearing about all the nice things he did for other people."

"I have a 90-year-old grandpa who won't eat or drink anything," she said. "A ton of family and friends miss him. For what — carelessness? There was no reason to be going the wrong way. My brother was just on his way to work like a good person."

It took at least a week before she would drive and her teenage daughter does not want to learn to drive anymore.

"Everyone should pay attention to how they are driving and don't drink and drive," she said.

Following the crash, the California Highway Patrol was looking into whether alcohol, drugs or speed may have been factors in the crash. This week the CHP told Patch it was still pending investigation and there was nothing new to report at this time.

A friend of the family set up a GoFundMe campaign to help Cannedy's family not only with memorial expenses but also his mortgage payment and other bills while his finances go through probate.

"We are raising funds for his funeral as this horrific event caught us off guard," friend Jessica Lopez wrote on GoFundMe. "Bud was an amazing son, brother, uncle, friend and dog dad. Anyone who knew him would say he would give you the shirt off his back and not even think twice about it."

By Friday afternoon, $17,610 of the $20,o0o goal was raised.

Celebration of Life

Manoguerra, her parents, her grandparents and her husband and children are preparing for a celebration of life planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 6, at Golden Hills Church, 2401 Shady Hills Drive in Brentwood, with a reception to follow at the Pittsburg Marina Event Center.