Funeral Saturday for McLean Worker Who Died of Accident Injuries

UPDATE: A funeral mass for Juan Pablo Hernandez Rodriguez, who worked at the McLean Chicken Out, will be held at 7 am. Saturday at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Fairfax.

The remains will be greeted at the church at 9 pm Friday which will begin an all-night visitation/viewing by family and friends.

After the mass, Mr. Rodriguez's body will be taken back home to El Salvador accompanied by his oldest son, said Renie Freedman, a spokesperson for Chicken Out. He will be buried in El Salvador next to his first wife, Freedman said.

Mr. Rodriguez, 66, the father of eight adult children, was struck by a car while crossing Eaton Place in Fairfax City on Dec. 23. He was treated and released by Inova Fairfax Hospital. Then returned a few days later and there five days later, according to The Washington Post.

Mr. Rodriguez who had worked in McLean since 2005 is remembered as a wonderful and caring person.

Thursday Jan 5.Chicken Out said yesterday that the company will ask customers to donate money to help the family of a McLean employe who died as a result of a car accident in December.

Renie Freedman, spokesman for the Gaithersburg-based company said posters will go up in all locations near the company's existing Do Good boxes  to help the family of Juan Pablo Hernandez Rodriguez. We found no poster nor Do Good box in a visit to the McLean Chicken Out Wednesday evening.

Mr. Rodriguez, 66, the father of eight, was struck by a car while crossing Eaton Place in Fairfax City on Dec. 23. He was treated and released by Inova Fairfax Hospital. Then returned a few days later and there five days later, according to The Washington Post.

Mr. Rodriguez who had worked in McLean since 2005 and is remembered as a wonderful and caring person.

“I understand the box in McLean is already full,” said Freedman, vice president of marketing and public relations for Chicken Out. “Pablo was a wonderful man and left behind many friends.” she said.

Money will be collected during January, Freedman explained. The company will  present the family with the check a week after,she said.

Funeral plans for Rodriguez are unclear. The Washington Post reported that the family has no money for a funeral.

ORIGINAL STORY: Jan 4. A Fairfax City man who died last week from injuries suffered when a car hit him worked at the Chicken Out restaurant in McLean and is remembered as a wonderful an caring person.

Juan Pablo Hernandez Rodriguez, 66, the father of eight, was struck by a car while crossing Eaton Place in Fairfax City on Dec. 23. He was treated and released by Inova FairfaxHospital. Then returned a few days later and there five days later, according to The Washington Post.

"My family was devastated to learn of Juan's death," said former McLean resident Jeff Leiter. "Juan would always go out of his way to smile and wave "hello" to my wife, daughters and me every time we came into the restaurant. He was part of our day every time we went into Chicken Out.

"My wife, daughter and infant grandson were in Chicken Out his last day of work. Juan made the effort to come over and make a fuss over the baby.

"I am sure other "regulars" at Chicken Out share the sorrow with his death. He worked hard, typically under the "radar" of most customers. However, we and others certainly appreciated his work," said Leiter, who now lives in Great Falls.

Renie Freedman, vice president of marketing and public relations for Chicken Out, which is headquartered in Gaithersburg, said Rodriguez was the greeter at the McLean Chicken Out. He helped people. Brought their food and cleaned the tables, she explained.

"He was a wonderful employee. Always very helpful. People really enjoyed him," she said.

 According to Rodriquez was Eaton Place in a crosswalk with the "walk" symbol at around 5:15 p.m. when he was hit by a vehicle turning left from the Chain Bridge Road service road, according to the City of Fairfax Police Department.

He was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital and released. Rodriguez later came back to the hospital and died there Dec. 28 from internal injuries caused by the crash, according to the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The driver of the Honda, Kyung Boo You, 44, of Fairfax, was charged with failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, reported.

The Washington Post reported, "Relatives said that Rodriguez did not have health insurance and that they do not have the money to pay for his funeral."

When asked if Chicken Out employees had health insurance Freedman said they were offered insurance. She added that the company, which is in bankruptcy,* intends to collect donations for the family at the McLean restaurant, at some point.

Leiter said, "People should know that Juan was a decent, hardworking man. While not part of his job description, Juan went out of his way with to acknowledge us when we came into Chicken Out. He had a nice smile. Juan was a gentle man, and he will be missed by more than his family and co-workers in McLean."

*Chicken Out Rotisserie filed for bankruptcy in July 2011, according to news reports. Richard Hindin, the president an CEO of Chicken Out, is also President and CEO of Adworks Inc., a Washington, D.C. based advertising and marketing firm. Hindin is the founder of Britches of Georgetown, according to the bankruptcy papers.

Interestingly,  Richard Hindin, is also in McLean. He lives in a mansion on Chain Bridge Road that is currently for sale for $6.9 million.

Hindin personally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2010. (See papers attached to this story.)