Posted on 06/23/2005 1:31:01 PM PDT by BenLurkin
LANCASTER - "He was always smiling. He was just a happy young man," Steve McWright said about his son, 16-year-old Brian McWright. The youth was a Junior ROTC cadet at Lancaster, a boxer and a young person with a deeply spiritual side to his life, his father said.
The teenager died Monday after he was declared brain dead in the crash caused by the motorhome that Christopher Anthony Hall was driving, allegedly away from a weekend hit-and-run accident that killed another person.
McWright was in a car with three other teenagers when they were hit by a motorhome allegedly driven by Hall, who was fleeing Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies.
Steve McWright, Brian's father, said his son was a good kid who constantly joked with everyone and made people laugh.
McWright said his son's injuries from the Saturday accident were so severe that Brian did not regain consciousness while in the hospital.
"We waited to see if he makes it though," he said. "He's been on life support since he's been there."
Brian McWright's injuries included a fracture at the top of his skull and spinal cord damage that cut off oxygen to his brain, Steve McWright said.
Participating in the Junior ROTC program placed him in one of the state's foremost military prep programs, with the group having won numerous awards in recent competitions.
Steve McWright said his son was very spiritual and was reading book seven of the "Left Behind" series, a fiction collection about the end of the world.
"He was reading the Bible real hard his last week," Steve McWright said. He said Brian approached him about the sections he read and discussed them. "I don't know how the spirit knows, but it does."
Brian McWright's was the second death to occur as a result of the Saturday afternoon crash spree that started when a motorhome hit a car at the intersection of 47th Street East and East Avenue R-8 and then fled the scene.
Three other teenagers in the car with Brian McWright on Saturday suffered minor to moderate injuries.
Hall, 40, was arrested Saturday at the climax of the sheriff's pursuit of the runaway motorhome.
On Tuesday, Hall pleaded not guilty to all of the 23 charges against him. Charges include murder, attempted murder, driving under the influence causing injury, evading and assaulting a peace officer, hit-and-run driving, unlawfully taking a vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon by means likely to produce great bodily injury.
Palmdale resident Lilian Mary Arevalo, 49, was killed when her vehicle, allegedly hit by Hall's vehicle, spun out of control and crashed into a telephone pole on 47th Street East and Avenue R-8.
While Hall made his first court appearance Tuesday, Steve McWright said he hasn't thought about him. "I haven't had any thoughts about him; all my energy has been in my son," he said.
Final arrangements were pending
That sucks.
My Army could have used a great kid like him.
God Bless his family.
Horrible. I hope this guy gets through this and don't know what I would have done had this happened to one of my boys. Sounds as though the family's faith will get them through.
I wish I had a nickel for everytime the media used the word "allegedly".
Critics of the way LA police handle car chases will use this to argue that police need to back off from high speed pursuits. That would be wrong. The problem is that after the initial incident and fleeing the scene, there is no incentive to give up. There needs to be additional felony counts for every additional mile/minute of running. The longer you run, the worse it should be. That way, there is some incentive to give up.
Want to prevent high speed chases? The LAPD needs to purchase some A-10s.
If that happens. . .and they would check me out again in that jet, I'd go back on active duty in a heartbeat.
LOL - Let me know if you need a ground man.
I hope this jerk gets what he deserves. I hope that they put him on death row and make him suffer.
Brian was a little brother to me. We grew up together in the same neighborhood. And it's unfortunate that we grew apart. The last time I saw Brian and his family was in Dec. of 2004, his bright smile still lingers in my mind. And I will never forget that along with his great personality.
My condolences go out to Lilian's family.
I will be showing my grievances at the funeral for Brian on Tuesday. I pray that we're all strong.
I've prayed and hoped since my accident in September that there would be no more accidents. There has been a chain of accidents among my friends within the last several months.
Along with all my loved ones, I hope all of yours are safe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.