He was identified by the Medical Examiner’s Office Saturday as David Norman Reid, who lived with his wife and family in Spring Valley, California.

Reid was driving a Dodge Caravan east on state Route 94 about a mile west of the school when the driver of a Ford Mustang crossed over the double-yellow line and collided with him head-on, the California Highway Patrol said.

Reid’s 17-year-old son, who was in the passenger seat, suffered serious injuries and underwent surgery Saturday, said the school’s assistant principal, Jeff Kover.

The driver of the Mustang, former student Andrew Bellatti, 18, and his 16-year-old female passenger, a current student, also were injured. They were reportedly released from the hospital Saturday.

It was unknown why Bellatti had crossed into oncoming traffic, but investigators said speed was a factor.

The speedometer on the Mustang was frozen at about 80 mph, said CHP Officer Brian Pennings. He said there was no indication that Bellatti had been racing, or that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the accident.

The road was wet, but it was not raining at the time, he said.

Reid’s son followed in his older sister’s footsteps by joining the charter high school’s drama club, and their parents became well-known volunteers over the past several years.

Reid did everything from building sets and chaperoning to serving at concession stands during plays.
“He’s easily one of the nicest guys you could meet. He always had a good joke or story,” Kover said. “He was there any time we had an event going on, a production or a show. They were always helping out.”

High school records show that Bellatti, who graduated last year, was a pitcher and first-baseman on Steele Canyon’s baseball team. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rays after turning down a scholarship offer to Cal State Fullerton.

Last summer, Bellatti pitched for Tampa Bay’s rookie team in the Gulf Coast League. Professional baseball’s spring training begins next month.

It would appear from the basic facts of this case that the driver of the Mustang was speeding way over the speed limit when he crossed into oncoming traffic and is most probably responsible for the wrongful death of David Norman Reid. We at the California Personal Injury Lawyer Blog send our prayers and condolences to his family.

If you or your family has suffered through the wrongful death of a loved one, you may call our office for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 x. 1.

San Diego Car Accident Lawyer and San Diego Wrongful Death Attorney Website

There have literally been hundreds of car, truck and other motor vehicle accidents over the past week all over the State of California. Everybody is blaming the bad weather, but in 99% of all cases, the fault is on drivers who were not being careful while driving in the bad weather.

Everyone needs to be careful out there on the roads. I flew in to Los Angeles International Airport last night from San Francisco. Although it was not raining in Los Angeles, the traffic was horrible because of the rain earlier in the day. There were still your ubiquitous assholes on the road, not letting people switch lanes, tailgating, driving recklessly, you name it.

To protect yourself against the bad drivers you need to make sure that you have uninsured motorist coverage and under insured motorist coverage in a decent amount to protect yourself against these bad drivers with bad insurance.

If you are hit, the first thing you need to do is make sure you get a police report, go to the emergency room if you need it, and call me for a free consultation on your car, truck, or any other motor vehicle accident, anywhere in California, at 800-816-1529 x. 1. As all of my clients all over the State of California know; I am an attorney that cares about my clients. I will do what I can to take care of you.

By California Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2009