Jose Luis Rodriguez III, a 17 Year Old San Antonio High School Junior Known to Everyone as Joey, Has Died After Suffering a Catastrophic Head Injury When He Fell from a Moving Vehicle During Spurs Western Conference Finals Celebrations Near Southwest Military Drive, as Police Continue Their Investigation with No Arrests Made

He worked at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q. He was finishing his junior year at Frank Tejeda Academy. He had his whole life mapped out ahead of him. On the night of May 27, Joey Rodriguez asked his parents if he could go celebrate the Spurs, and by June 2, he was gone.

Jose Luis Rodriguez III, known to everyone who loved him as Joey, died on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, five days after he fell from a vehicle during the San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Finals celebration and suffered a catastrophic head injury that left him brain-dead the following morning. He was 17 years old.

Rodriguez had been hanging out of a vehicle during what is known locally as a “honking celebration” on the South Side following the Spurs’ series tying victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder when he fell and struck his head, leaving, in the words of a family member, blood all over the street. He had no pulse for eight minutes before being transported to a specialist clinic due to the traumatic nature of his brain injuries.

A City That Celebrates Together Now Grieves Together

Joey’s grandmother confirmed his passing at 4:46 p.m. Tuesday, and the family extended a message to the city: “Everyone please be careful out there. Stay in your cars. If you’re in a vehicle, wear your seatbelt.”

His aunt, Victoria Lopez, described the past week as a nightmare and remembered Joey as her only nephew, a young man who was ready to go out into the world and make something of himself. San Antonio police confirmed the case remains an active investigation and that no arrests have been made.

The circumstances of Joey’s death draw a painful line between two things San Antonio holds close simultaneously, its beloved basketball tradition and the street celebration culture that comes with it. The “honking” tradition along Southwest Military Drive after big Spurs wins is a years old community ritual, full of flags and car horns and neighbors who spill out of their homes to share the moment. But vehicles in motion do not pause for celebrations, and the joy of a playoff run cannot undo the physics of a fall from a moving truck onto pavement.

His parents had initially told him no when he asked to go celebrate, aware of the unsafe behavior the celebrations sometimes produced. The family knew what could happen out there. That detail has quietly become the most haunting part of this story for the people who loved him.

The San Antonio Police Department continues its investigation into the circumstances of Joey Rodriguez’s death. His family will hold a plate sale in his memory on Saturday, June 13, at 328 S. San Gabriel, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Plates are $12. The community is invited.