Arcadia 16-year-old Roger A. Lewis, who was struck by a car while bicycling, has died. The accident occurred over the weekend at Santa Anita Avenue and Duarte Road. The driver who struck Lewis was driving a 2008 Chrysler Sebring. Lewis was a former student at Arcadia High School.
Despite the protests of relatives and friends of the victims, 21 year old Arcadian Jim Bates will face only misdemeanor charges for the freeway deaths of two people. Bates drove across three traffic lanes in an attempt to make the Baldwin Avenue offramp of the Foothill Freeway. The accident happened on April 16, 1982.
Arcadia City's legal team and traffic safety experts re-created the scene of the crash that killed Arcadia teen Alice Zhang, 16, of Arcadia, and badly injured her friend Priyanka Patel of Upland, on April 10, 2011. The driver, Bowen Du, 20, of Arcadia, has been sentenced to one year in jail after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving.
A woman pedestrian was critically injured in a hit and run and an Arcadia police officer suffered injuries in a second mishap, both in heavy traffic outside Santa Anita Park. The female victim also suffered the theft of her purse just minutes before the auto mishap.
James Bates of Arcadia was ordered to spend 6 months in county jail for the freeway deaths of Denise Wilson and David Hawkins. A two-year sentence was suspended. Bates is on five years probation and must abstain from use of alcoholic beverages. Though Bates had been drinking during the afternoon before, his blood alcohol level was only .03 after the 1 A.M. accident.
Bowen Du, 19, an Arcadia man who was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter in the death of 16-year-old Arcadia High School student Alice Zhang, has pleaded not guilty. Du faces up to 6 years in state prison for vehicular manslaughter and up to 3 more years for causing serious injury to Zhang's friend Priyanka Patel, 16, of Upland.
Arcadia Unified School District school board refuses to reinstate James O'Brien as the cross country coach. The school board expressed appreciation for all the individuals who shared their perspectives on the Arcadia High School cross country program at the Board of Education meetings. Mr. O'Brien continues to be employed as a teacher at Arcadia High School. Coaching assignments are made on a year-to-year basis.
Bowen Du, the driver, who struck and Alice Zhang, 16, of Arcadia, as she walked across the 600 block of Duarte Road, will face the felony charge of one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison. His arraignment is scheduled for August 11, 2011 in Pasadena Superior Court.
Bowen Du, 19, a Pasadena City College student, was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter in the death of 16-year-old Arcadia High School student Alice Zhang on April 10. In court, he said he was sorry and did not mean to do it. He was a graduate of Arcadia High School in 2010 and a private first class in the U.S. Army Reserve. His arraignment was continued until June 28. Du has no prior criminal record. Arcadia police have said the car's windshield was "excessively dirty" and that "this vision obstruction, combined with the setting sun at the time of the collision, played a major role in the cause of the collision." Du was driving about 30 mph when he struck Zhang and her friend on the 600 block of West Duarte Road.
Motorcyclist Kenneth Doherty, 32, of Los Angeles, died from a hit-and-run collision with a car, described as an electric blue Mitsubishi. The driver of the car left the scene.
A letter from Arcadia High School Principal Brent Forsee to CIF lists recruiting and practice rule violations allegedly committed by fired Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien. Forsee sent the undated letter to the Southern Section offices of the California Interscholastic Federation sometime after firing James O'Brien on June 17.
Arcadia High School coach James O'Brien, who has led the cross country team to two CIF State and three CIF-Southern Section championships, has been fired. He was told the reason was, "We want to go in a different direction." He will remain a teacher at Arcadia High School.
Arcadia High School boys Sergio Gonzalez (Runner of the Year), Ryan Vargas, Mitchell Pratt and Estevan DeLaRosa, have been named to 2011 All-Area Cross Country boys first team. James O'Brien of Arcadia High School, is named Coach of the Year. Francis Lee of Arcadia High School, is on the second team.
Both the Board of Education and the City Council have denied $1.5 million in claims against them filed by Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. O'Brien, parents of Timothy Sean O'Brien who was struck and killed by an automobile as he was crossing Campus Drive last November 6th.
Arcadia Police Department investigates the death of a 16-year-old male cyclist who collided with a car driven by a 26-year-old male at 10:00 PM at Santa Anita Avenue and Duarte Road, on October 20, 2012.
Arcadia High School boys Eric Garibay, Sergio Gonzalez, Allen Leung and Ryan Vargas, are on the 2010 All-Area Cross Country boys team. Arcadia High School freshman Veronica Yamane and junior Alejandra Quintero are on the 2010 All-Area Cross Country girls team. James O'Brien of Arcadia High School, is named Coach of the Year for the boys. Ammar Moussa and Catrina McAlister, both from Arcadia High School, were named Star News Runners of the Year. All preceding people are photographed. Also chosen (not photographed) were on the second team: Arcadia High School senior boy William Tsai and Arcadia High School girl Glyndie Mancia.
Fired Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien questions reason for dismissal. The Arcadia Unified School District's Board of Education upholds its decision to not reappoint Mr. O'Brien as head coach for the 2013-2014 year. He will continue to teach at Arcadia High School.
A message supporting embattled former Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien, sent by a concerned parent named Michael Yamane, was forwarded to the police by a school board member. Yamane's email urged the district to reconsider its firing of O'Brien, accuses district officials of abusing employees, lying about a CIF-SS investigation into O'Brien's program, and suggested officials might be breaking state law. Yamane is concerned about his constitutional right to free speech, after his email was forwarded to police. Yamane is also a proponent of the "Recall Arcadia" campaign, which seeks to recall three school board members.