Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart killed in accident

Latest story: Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart killed in car crash

Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was among the three people killed in a crash in Fullerton when a driver ran a red light, an associate of the rookie player said this morning. The crash occurred hours after the 22-year-old appeared in Wednesday night's Angels game.

He died in the accident that occurred shortly after midnight at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton, said Lt. Craig Brower of the Fullerton Police Department. Several witnesses told police that the driver of a red minivan ran a red light at the intersection, hitting a silver Mitsubishi carrying four people. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, authorities said. Two others were taken to a nearby hospital, where a third person was later pronounced dead, Brower said.

The driver of the minivan fled on foot shortly after the accident but was taken into custody on suspicion of hit and run when police found him a mile away, Brower said. Further charges are pending as the investigation continues, he said.  A passenger in the minivan was taken to Western Medical Center, authorities said. The condition of that person was unknown.

A third vehicle also was involved, but there were no reports of any injuries.

Authorities said the intersection would be closed at least until noon as the investigation continued.

-- Mike DiGiovanna and Ruben Vives

Photos by Mark Boster and Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Ze]

get over the immigrant thing Nancy, and focus on the fact that this part of the country does not enforce traffic laws thoroughly enough. red light cameras and stiff punishments will help.

[the_turk]

Although not a fan of red light camera's, I think LA and OC should start installing them to help avoid tragedies like these.

[JB]

I also read yesterday that a fan was killed in a fight at the stadium. Two deaths related to the Angels. This is very tragic.

Nancy, are you mentally ill? You must be because a sane person would know better that to use undocumented immigrants as scapegoats for everything that goes wrong in this country. Or you just have not evolved yet. This is the real problem with our world today. People are just unable to evolve and think intelligently.

[LC]

Nancy, you are a lame-sauce, keep your politics/ignorance out of this.

[Paul]

A sad story for the family, friends, and teammates of Nick Adenhart. It is also sad that someone is under the presumed notion that illegal immigration was the cause of this senseless tragedy. Instead of quickly placing the blame on an entirely different issue, understand that this was an avoidable tragedy. Drunk driving accidents/fatalities can happen to anyone regardless of immigration status. To make this situation a public forum on your own personal grievance that may have no possible bearing on the loss of Nick Adenhart is a disservice to those in mourning and quite possibly, racist.

[james]

as an Astros fan, i want to send out my thoughts and prayers to the angels family and team, and their fans. as well as all fans of baseball. such a tragic loss. an up and coming pitcher who looked good last night
My thoughts and prayers also go out to the Adenhart family.
taken so young.
Rest in Peace Nick

[Albert A.]

My heart and prayers go out to Adenhart's family and friends and the Angels Organization.

[bob]

Lock that person up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is so sad that a person would run a red light and also take the lives of 3 people. Nick, i thought was a really good pitcher last night. Me and my dad were watching the game. When i heard about this i was as shocked as anything! R.I.P nick (prayers from NJ)

[Melaine S]

You know, others died in the crash too. This guy wasn't any more important than anyone else. People die every day.

[Count Tracula]

Sad, but don't make a deal out of it just because he was a ball player. The other people hurt and killed matter all the same. This guy is just another trivia question now. Life is short. Baseball doesn't really matter. Swings and roundabouts. Moving on to what's next we shall. Then our turn. Fade to black. Nobody really cares but you, maybe a loved one. So be merry and less superficial. Baseball is nothing. Out.

[j]

So sad, prayers from the bay area to his family !

[Sandra G.]

First off, I want to send my apology to the family of Nick Adenhart, the Angels and the Oakland A's and all the fans. I'm sorry that you all lost a wonderful young man. The fact that he is so young and to have a parent go to their own child's funeral is probably one of the hardest things to do. The Angels and the Oaklands A's, I hope you all stay strong as Nick would want you all to play hard. Nick is watching you all.

I went to the Angel's game and Tuesday night and I don't think Nick pitched that night. I'm shocked that this happened.

Now to the comments that I read about someone named Nancy reguarding her comment about illegal aliens. Since I do not know for sure if the man that was indeed 1. drinking and driving and 2. driving on a suspended license-I do not know if he was an illegal alien.

He could have been-it is true. However, stick with what we know! We know that he was drinking and driving. We know that he was driving on a suspended license. Is not this enough? Does a person need to be an illegal alien to do wrong? If this person was not behind the wheel of a car (since he had a suspended license), this would not have happened.

Nancy, I am a member of ALIPAC as well, (as you may be) and I am not for people coming into our country by illegal means. However, the point of what everyone is trying to say is-it was not his "illegal alien" status (if he was illegal) that killed 3 people in this accient. It was the fact that he was drinking and driving AND he was driving with a suspended license. He could have been a legal alien-still does not take away the fake that he was drinking and driving. Oh, authoriities have him as well.

We love you Nick Adenhart.

[Ted]

Although illegal immigrants are not the same as 'immigrants', correlating this tragedy to illegal immigrants is a bad, cheap shot, especially w/o knowing. However, Nancy, it is true that many DUI's which involve hit-and-run also involve illegal aliens but in this case I think you jumped the gun and came across as racial. It's best to wait and get the facts before placing blame. The driver will pay (legally) for what he's done and hopefully fair justice will take place for the families and the victims.

[Alice]

My prayers goes out to his friends and family :( He was so young and had a big dream...also the other 3 victims, my heart goes out to them.

[Narcissa]

I'm with Nancy on this one. Let's be honest, many of these hit and run accidents involve impoverished illegals who just went on a bender after getting paid under the table from their day laborer job that they got by loitering around the Home Depot parking lot.

Don't like the fact that illegals "contribute" as much to the decline of our standard of living by the fact that they and the slew of anchor babies they crap out are largely illiterate, and hugely dependent on all areas of social services? Fine.

Dont like the fact that drunk driving is a huge problem with these impoverished illegals and that many lives would have
been saved had these people not been here in the first place?

That's fine, too. But demonizing/name calling someone for pointing out facts that you choose to ignore isn't going to
make those facts any less true.

[AngelsFan]

This is a sad sad day for all baseball fans and those who knew these young kids. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families of those who lost a loved one in this tragic crash. The driver of the minivan should be prosecuted at the highest possible levels the law allows.

[Garcia]

Gallo is an italian-surname so he was white and drunk and hopefully is sent to jail. Prayers go out to the families of everyone that was lost

[agar]

My heart and soul goes out to the girl driving Courtney and too the other three passengers. Courtney we will miss you and when I meet you up their will have that bone fire we were talking about earlier that day. YOU WILL BE MISSED AS A FRIEND AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL...

AGAR

[Chris]

I'm a Rangers fan and I cannot imagine the pain that his family must be going through. My stomach started hurting the moment I heard this story. When a young man's bright future is ripped off his hands by a drunk driver, it makes me wish I lived in a different world. This is not a time to manifest sports rivalries or express your political views, this is a time for mourning.
RIP Nick.

[QueenBee]

I agree with Nancy. This guy's NOT Italian, he's Mexican. And, Nancy's right...he's probably here illiegally, driving not only drunk, but without any type of insurance and with 5 kids (under the age of 6) at home in some state-funded housing project. I"m sickened by the fact that this happens so frequently....happened to me, but I lost a leg instead of my life. My prayers are with all of the families who lost a loved-one in this accident. Hopefully, this guy will be punished by our courts, and ulitmately, by God.

[Michael]

Wow Nancy, your ignorance tickles me...
First of all he has a license so he cant be illegal. He is probably European. Instead of expressing Sorrow you go on a political rant. Take your hate to a more appropriate Place, like the Fox Website

[jenn]

Latinos accounted for 43% of all sentenced federal offenders -- more than triple their share (14%) of the total U.S. adult population. The share of all sentenced offenders who were Latino in 2007 was up from 24% in 1991, according to an analysis of data from the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC)

[zunilda]

My prayers goes for the families of those who died in this accident.
About who was driving is not your concern Ms. Nancy, who are you to judge without having the accurate information.
I lost a nephew by a hit and run. My nephew was only 13 years old. We didn't judged we prayed for that person and I know my nephew is resting in peace. It was their time to leave and I will be praying for their parents. Nancy instead of you pointing out at the immigrants look at yourself and ask if you are God. God will be the judge and who ever this person is, I am sure that God will give him his punishment. In the meantime we should just pray for all the ones that were involved in this tragedy.
My sympathy for the family of Nick. I know what you are going through I have been there and I still remember the day my nephew was killed. God will give you the strength.
Nancy if you are clean of sins then you may throw rocks at the immigrants. Don't be racists because we are all created equally by the One above!

[Vanessa]

Nick Adenhart
R.I.P you were a GREAT pllayer. My thoughts go out to your family and friends as well as the other people involved as well.
As for Nacy:
Wow you really make me sick. How dare you judge someone by there race? It just makes you look like an old person with a sick close minded person that thinks if your "not white your not right". I would say SOOOO much crap about you.. but see unlike you .. I know the apporpitate Time and Place to say "what I feel" towards immagration or any race in general. I've taken the time to read all the post from everyone and some i agree and some i dont.
-Vanessa , age 15

[Christopher Eric Waire]

R.I.P.