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A bright vocal talent has fallen silent far too soon.
Nicole Valeria Vargas Gómez, who competed on season four of Colombia’s The Voice Kids in 2019, died following a hit-and-run incident in the department of Quindío. She was 19.
The tragedy—which also took the life of 40-year-old William Andrew Paipa—occurred when a vehicle struck both victims as they crossed the road, throwing them both in the air, multiple outlets reported citing local police.
“A traffic accident occurred involving pedestrians being run over by an unidentified vehicle, affecting two individuals who were crossing the road in the restaurant area at El Solar,” authorities said in a statement to Unilad published Feb. 24. “At this time, the individuals can be identified as William Andres Paipa and Nicole Valeria Vargas Gómez.”
Following the fatal crash, investigators continue to search for the vehicle involved in the encounter, the outlets reported.
During her time on the singing competition, Gómez detailed her first exposure to music as a baby when her late grandmother would sing to her. She eventually discovered her own musical chops in school, albeit accidentally.
“I got locked in a school bathroom and my teacher got worried because I hadn’t turned up,” she said via Spanish translation following her blind audition. “She went looking for me, and instead of crying, I started singing, and she had to listen in every bathroom stall to see where I was.”
The Voice Kids Colombia/YouTube
Gómez explained that she “fell in love” with Colombian genres like pasillo and bambuco music while also becoming immersed in the world of hip-hop dance, adding, “I go from one extreme to the other in music.”
After her stint on the reality series, Gómez went on to pursue studies in business administration at the University of Quindío, where she also participated in the school’s vocal group.
“Both in the classroom and on stage, she left her mark through her discipline, sensitivity and deep love for the arts,” the university said in a statement on X Feb. 22 via Spanish translation. “Today we bid farewell to an exemplary student, a passionate artist and a human being who illuminated every space she shared with her voice and presence.”
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