Riley Hein

About Riley

Riley Hein's legacy is one of humility, laughter, friends, and music. Riley was a bright and gentle spirit. He was a natural athlete, accomplished musician, and a longboard wizard. Trombone, piano, and laughter were his languages. Riley ran cross-country and played the trombone in the Manzano Royal Guard Marching Band.

Crash Description

Riley was 16 and driving to high school on I-40. After a semi drifted into his lane on a curve, Riley’s car became wedged underneath the semi-trailer because the trailer lacked a side guard to prevent the underride. The semi dragged his car for a half a mile, and when authorities arrived, both car and semi-trailer were on fire. Riley died at the scene of the crash from injuries sustained in the fire.

Life After the Crash

Since the crash, Riley's father, Eric, has become an advocate for improving underride protections to prevent the types of crashes that killed his son. Eric educates the public about the safety benefits of side underride guards and fights for them to be required on semi-trailers, trailers, and single unit trucks in the United States.