Winthrop Business Owner Tina Hinojosa Killed by Drunk Driver

An 84-year-old East Boston man has been charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with the fatal car accident in Winthrop last Friday.

Winthrop Police arrested Kenneth Thompson, 84, of Eastie with one count each of motor vehicle homicide and OUI as well as an additional charge of failure to stop and/or yield.

The incident occurred just before 3:30 pm Friday afternoon when Thompson’s car collided with a Jeep at the intersection of Hagman Road and Walden Street in Winthrop.

Police received multiple 911 calls of the car crash and when police, fire and EMS arrived on the scene they observed the Jeep was overturned and the female occupant was ejected from the vehicle. The Hyundai Elantra Thompson was driving was also severely damaged by the crash.

First responders performed lifesaving measures on the driver. She was taken by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

The woman was later identified as former Revere resident Tina Hinojosa. Hinojosa had been living in Winthrop. Hinojosa worked as an accountant for Roof Repairs Corp in Winthrop and was owner and founder of SoulDrink as well as the former co-owner of The Yoga Lounge in Winthrop.

Hinojosa graduated from Revere High School in 1993 and continued her education at Salem State, receiving her Associates Degree. She was the owner of Unlimited Bookkeeping Services and worked as a bookkeeper for Roof Repairs Corp. in Winthrop and Power of Recovery in Revere. Her passion was yoga and she was the previous co-owner of The Yoga Lounge and also owned SoulDrink. Her classes were well known in the area and people loved the energy and positivity she radiated. She was a wellness advocate for Doterra and was also heavily involved in NamaStay Sober, a recovery based non-profit, at one time acting as their Director of Events. She was a strong advocate for people in recovery.

With news of her death last week, tributes from all over have been pouring from those who knew her and had their lives touched by Hinojosa.

“Tina was the most beautiful, kindest, strongest and spiritual woman I have had the honor of knowing,” said Carol Troy. “She has been a power of example to me, amazed at the strong love and bond for her daughter Kayla and also the strong connection with her higher power. I am deeply saddened by her loss and the thought of never seeing her beautiful face again. My heart and prayers go to Kayla and her family.”

Kati Quist also paid tribute to Hinojosa saying, “I will love you, miss you and think about you forever. This world will never be the same. Thank you for being my friend. I am truly blessed to have known you and I will cherish every memory with you. Your spirit will forever shine on and I will keep a piece of you in my heart forever. Rest in the sweetest paradise, my love. All my love, my prayers, my thoughts, and my condolences are for your beautiful daughter and your family.”

Revere City Councilor and friend of Hinojosa Steve Morabito in a statement on social media, “Today, I write this post with a heavy heart like many of you, trying to grasp the senseless accident in Winthrop that took the life of a beautiful person inside and out, Tina Hinojosa. Tina was a kind person with a personality that made it easy for many to connect with, and love. The community lost a friend, and her family lost an aunt, a cousin, a sister and a mom. My heart breaks. I’m sending love and prayers to the Hinojosa Family and Parlante Family.”

A preliminary investigation by Winthrop Police suggests that Thompson’s Hyundai Elantra was traveling northbound on Hagman Road and collided with Hinojosa’s Jeep, traveling on Pauline Street toward Woodside Avenue, at the intersection of Pauline Street, Hagman Road and Walden Street.

The accident continues to be under investigation by the Winthrop Police Department, the State Police Accident Reconstruction Team, and detectives assigned to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.