hmm, what a sad thing
WHITTIER -- A 16- year-old Whittier High School honors student riding her bicycle home from soccer practice Friday was killed when she was struck by a tractor-trailer on Mulberry Drive at Painter Avenue.
The victim, identified as April Gonzalez of Whittier, was riding her bicycle east on Mulberry Drive. She had stopped at the light at Painter, waiting to cross through the intersection, witnesses told California Highway Patrol investigators.
At the same time, the truck was stopped at the light. When the signal turned green, the truck began to make a right turn onto southbound Painter, and Gonzalez also started across Painter Avenue on her bicycle, CHP Officer Joe Zizi of the Santa Fe Springs Office said.
The girl struck the truck's cab and was thrown to the ground, he said.
Witnesses said the girl tried to get up.
"At this time, we believe her body was crushed by the tires of the big rig,' Zizi said.
The truck driver continued traveling south on Painter. Witnesses in cars chased the truck and, when the driver stopped, they told him he had hit the girl. The driver then returned to the scene. He was visibly shaken.
The driver, from Norwalk, was not arrested. However, Zizi said the investigation was continuing.
"He said that he was unaware and immediately returned to the scene,' Zizi said.
Stunned witnesses and friends of Gonzalez gathered under shade trees at the front of Frontier High School, where Gonzalez apparently had been at soccer practice.
Several young women cried and hugged.
A few minutes later, Frontier High Principal Carlye Olsen and Whittier Union High School District Superintendent Sandra Thorstenson opened several classrooms at Frontier for Gonzalez's family and friends to gather.
"April had many friends and they are going to need counseling,' Thorstenson said. "We called in counselors and psychologists, who are off-duty, to provide support to those who will need it at both Whittier High School and Frontier.'
Gonzalez, an honors student at Whittier High, was not wearing a helmet, Zizi said.
"As she went head-first into the tractor of the big rig, a helmet might have saved her,' he said.
-sighs- Life is about expecting the unexpected..
The victim, identified as April Gonzalez of Whittier, was riding her bicycle east on Mulberry Drive. She had stopped at the light at Painter, waiting to cross through the intersection, witnesses told California Highway Patrol investigators.
At the same time, the truck was stopped at the light. When the signal turned green, the truck began to make a right turn onto southbound Painter, and Gonzalez also started across Painter Avenue on her bicycle, CHP Officer Joe Zizi of the Santa Fe Springs Office said.
The girl struck the truck's cab and was thrown to the ground, he said.
Witnesses said the girl tried to get up.
"At this time, we believe her body was crushed by the tires of the big rig,' Zizi said.
The truck driver continued traveling south on Painter. Witnesses in cars chased the truck and, when the driver stopped, they told him he had hit the girl. The driver then returned to the scene. He was visibly shaken.
The driver, from Norwalk, was not arrested. However, Zizi said the investigation was continuing.
"He said that he was unaware and immediately returned to the scene,' Zizi said.
Stunned witnesses and friends of Gonzalez gathered under shade trees at the front of Frontier High School, where Gonzalez apparently had been at soccer practice.
Several young women cried and hugged.
A few minutes later, Frontier High Principal Carlye Olsen and Whittier Union High School District Superintendent Sandra Thorstenson opened several classrooms at Frontier for Gonzalez's family and friends to gather.
"April had many friends and they are going to need counseling,' Thorstenson said. "We called in counselors and psychologists, who are off-duty, to provide support to those who will need it at both Whittier High School and Frontier.'
Gonzalez, an honors student at Whittier High, was not wearing a helmet, Zizi said.
"As she went head-first into the tractor of the big rig, a helmet might have saved her,' he said.
-sighs- Life is about expecting the unexpected..