Los Angeles Angels' Rookie Pitcher One of Three People Killed in Fullerton Hit and Run Car Accident, Drunk Driving Suspected
Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart was one of three people killed in an early morning hit and run car accident earlier today. Investigating police officers suspect alcohol to be involved.
The car crash occurred after the Angels' game yesterday in nearby Fullerton, California. Adenhart was a passenger in a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse that was broadsided, or "T-Boned", at an intersection by a minivan that allegedly ran a red light. Both vehicles spun in the intersection and one struck another vehicle. You can read more in this ABCnews.com story.
The minivan driver fled the scene of the auto accident on foot but was captured thirty minutes later. He has been identified as Andrew Gallo, 22, of Riverside. Gallo was driving on a suspended license for a prior drunk driving conviction. Tests of Gallo's blood-alcohol content indicate that it was above the legal limit at the time of the accident. It is likely that he will face vehicular manslaughter or murder charges for his role in the accident.
Two others involved in the accident, a 27-year-old man in the Mitsubishi Eclipse and 20-year-old Courtney Frances Stewart of Diamond Bar, were pronounced dead at the scene. Adenhart died during a last surgical attempt at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.
Adenhart, by all accounts, was a well-liked teammate. His teammates and the Angels' owners have decided to postpone Thursday night's game so teammates could remember Adenhart.
Adenhart's professional baseball career had just started. He had just completed his fourth career start Wednesday night in a loss to the Oakland A's. However, Adenhart pitched six scoreless innings in the attempt and his father had even flown out from Baltimore to watch his young son's efforts.
Our prayers go out to the Adenhart family. This is a truly tragic event that should not have happened. Gallo should not have been driving the minivan at the time of the car crash, having had his driver's license suspended already for a prior drunk driving arrest. It looks like Gallo was up to old habits at the time of this auto accident. From a criminal perspective, we hope the Orange County District Attorney prosecutes Gallo to the fullest extent possible.
From a civil remedy perspective, we hope that Gallo was responsible enough to purchase sufficient auto insurance to pay for the damage he has caused. While there is no amount of money that can adequately and completely make up for the loss of Adenhart and the two other young passengers killed in the accident, justice demands that Gallo do so to the fullest extent possible. He has taken the lives of three people under the age of 30, each of which with their full lives ahead of them. And why? Because he was not responsible enough to have someone else drive him; instead, he consumed alcohol and got behind the wheel of a deadly object.
Because the damage done in this accident is so immense, each of the families of the fatal victims should hire a diligent personal injury lawyer to prosecute their wrongful death claims. The question in this case isn't liability--it is very clear that Gallo should be held responsible. The main issue is to find all insurance policies and assets that can be used to compensate these three families for their tremendous losses. It will take skilled wrongful death lawyers to accomplish this sad, yet necessary goal.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a Fullerton DUI car accident, please call Fullerton auto accident lawyer Ross Jurewitz and the California personal injury attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group at 619-233-502. You may also contact these Orange County wrongful death lawyers online here.
