Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, who pitched six scoreless innings yesterday against the Oakland A’s, was killed in a horrific hit and run accident involving a drunk driver in Fullerton, early this morning. “A minivan ran a red light at a Fullerton intersection, causing a three-vehicle crash,” according to the O.C. Register.
Here are a few more excerpts from the O.C. Register:
The wreck occurred at East Orangethorpe Avenue and South Lemon Street just after midnight, said Fullerton police Lt. Craig Brower. Two of the vehicles – one traveling on Lemon, the other on Orangethorpe – crashed at the intersection.
The driver of the van, Andrew Thomas Gallo, 22, of Riverside, was taken to UCI Medical Center with minor injuries and arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving, felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter, police said. Investigators were considering pursuing homicide charges.
Gallo’s license had been suspended before the wreck for a previous drunken driving conviction, police said.
Words cannot express what a terrible tragedy this is, particularly for the Adenhart family but also for the other victims who were in the car with him. They included the driver, “Courtney Stewart, 20, a former cheerleader at Cal State Fullerton, and an unidentified 27-year-old man.”
Adenhart was the Angel’s top prospect. The Angels canceled tonight’s scheduled game at the request of the family. I found a tribute to Adehart on YouTube, which you can see below.
We at the Orange Juice blog extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to the Adenhart family, the families of the other victims and to the Angels and their fans. This is a tough way to start the baseball season, but tragedies like this sometimes serve to bring players and fans together. At this time it is more important to grieve than to worry about baseball. But what a shame. This young man was going to be a great big league pitcher. Now he gets to play for the real Angels…
On a different note, this horrible accident underscores how dangerous drunk drivers are. It is ironic that we spend so much time and money trying to put marijuana smokers in jail, while drunks kill people all over this country on a daily basis…
Here’s another irony. Millions of dollars (if not more) are spent each year teaching the evils and health risks of tobacco. And using the health risks as an excuse, taxes are piled onto tobacco sales to help fund the costs of health care for those affected. How many people die each year due to alcohol use/abuse? Where are the taxes on alcohol? The lawsuits against the alcohol manufacturers?
How many people are homeless due to tobacco abuse vs how many are homeless due to alcoholism?
I am a non-smoker but I see a HUGE inequity here.
Its just a really sad day for all of us at Angel Stadium .
INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT HAVING NEW GUN CONTROL LAWS.WE ALL NEED TO FOCUS ON NEW AND STRICT ALCOHOL CONTROL LAWS. THAT WOULD ALSO INVOLVE FIRST AND SECOND TIME DUI OFFENDERS!HOW MANY MORE YOUNG INNOCENT PEOPLE NEED TO DIE ,IN ORDER TO PROVE THAT ARE LAWS ARE NOT TOUGH CALIFORNIA.
I ENCOURAGE ALL OF U TO CALL UR STATE LEGISLATORS AND PUSH THEM TO MAKE TOUGHER NEW LAWS FOR DUI OFFERNDERS!!
Cars kill people, over 35,000 last year.
Sadly, another life taken early due to the lack of personal resposibility! Just like the Idiots who misuse guns, Alcohol is even worse! What do you do when he lost his license, and has a DUI Already?
We all feel your pain.
You should focus your energy to contact local Non profit organization such as
SADD and MADD
Students Mothers
Against Against
Drunk Drunk
Driving Driving
And try to work with them to create a better network to make tougher laws that prohibits offenders to drive under the influence.
http://www.madd.org/
Look Forward in networking
118468@gmail
Thank You .. I and will .
because no one should be worry while driving on the street if there’s a drunk driver on the road ..