The teenage cyclist who died tragically — and needlessly — a full week after he was struck by a car has finally been publicly identified.
The Whittier Daily News reports (scroll down) that 15-year old Norwalk resident Jonathan Acosta Fernandez died from injuries he suffered when he was hit by a car driven by Ana Chavez of Whittier on June 3rd. The collision occurred near the intersection of Alondra and Pioneer Blvds in Norwalk around 3:10 pm; Fernandez was reportedly leaving the Norwalk Indoor Swap Meet when he was struck.
Police say Chavez was traveling at 60 mph at the time of the collision. She was initially booked on suspicion of felony drunk driving, with a bond $100,000, and is due to be arraigned on a charge of vehicular manslaughter in Downey Superior Court on Tuesday.
And once again, the authorities and the press seem to think a tiny bit of plastic and foam atop a rider’s head can offer some sort of magical protection against an accused drunk driver in a speeding vehicle.
Yes, it is important to wear a helmet; I haven’t ridden without one in over 25 years.
But Fernandez’ fate was sealed the moment an allegedly intoxicated driver got behind the wheel and put her foot down hard on the gas. Even if he’d been wearing a full body flak jacket, it would have offered little protection against a vehicle driven at that speed.
My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jonathan Fernandez.
