Jan 18, 2022
Three area teenage boys have been identified following a tragic car accident that occurred Sunday evening near Pasadena.
The fatal car crash happened at approximately 8:26 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
FOX 11 reported that the driver of the 2005 Honda was heading south on Michillinda Avenue when he lost control of the vehicle. The car reportedly collided with the raised edge of the curb, later crashing into a chain-link fence and rolling over.
This contradicted an earlier report from a witness who claimed the vehicle had fallen onto the street from the 210 Freeway. According to FOX 11, CHP officials eventually confirmed that the witness was “mistaken.”
The Associated Press reported that the sedan had been found upside-down on a sidewalk underneath the highway overpass.
The three teenagers were identified Monday by the coroner’s office:
Bae would have turned 18 years old on January 17, according to the coroner’s report.
FOX 11 also reported that the cause of the crash was still under investigation as of Monday, and that investigators had not ruled out whether drugs or alcohol may have been a factor.
A memorial near the crash site was erected Monday, with family members gathering to light candles and place photos of the victims nearby. Local ABC 7 reported that family members and friends expressed “overwhelming grief” at the crash site’s candlelight vigil yesterday evening.
The mother of Gullekson, Leonor Montelongo, spoke with FOX 11.
“This is my son, my baby. He was taken too soon from me. I want condolences for all the families of the children that lost their lives here and I just miss him [Gullekson],” she said.
Joe Delatorre, the stepfather of Torres, also spoke with FOX 11 regarding his son, Nicholas. Delatorre indicated that he raised the teen since he was a child (together with his wife who is Torres’ mother).
“He was a good kid and a quiet kid. She [Torre’s mother] is going through a really bad time right now so what I’m going to do is stay strong for her. I don’t want this to happen to anybody else,” he said to FOX 11.
The following GoFundMe pages have been established by family and friends of the victims:
As we noted in a recent blog, area car accident rates in virtually every category increased during the first half of 2021, according to data compiled by the Los Angeles Police Department. A report by LAist.com confirmed the following increases (through the first half of last year):
Pedestrian accidents were the only motor vehicle collision category to have remained steady year-over-year.
As we noted in an earlier post, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) annual Early Estimate Report on motor vehicle fatalities indicated a troubling trend – the largest six-month increase ever recorded during the first half of 2021.
U.S. traffic deaths increased at a staggering 18.4% during that time despite the COVID-19 pandemic reducing motor vehicle congestion throughout much of the nation.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg called the increase a “crisis” at the time of the report’s release late last year.
The final motor vehicle traffic death report for the full calendar year 2021 is expected to be released by the federal government in the coming weeks.
When you’re injured in a car accident as a result of another driver’s negligence or carelessness, the ensuing medical bills and other related expenses may be recoverable through a civil lawsuit.
Examples of financial damages that be secured through a civil claim include:
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Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
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