Incredible Heroism and unanswered questions

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

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I’m still absorbing all the news and eyewitness reports from Sunday night’s tragic fatality on Valencia Blvd. One of the things that stands out to me is how heroic many of the spectators were once the car hit and crushed spectators. I’m really proud to share the same town with these fine people.

From The Signal comes the story of a 23 year old Marine who picked up a bloody 4 year old girl because he was afraid she would be trampled:

Marine Lance Cpl. Gilbert Delgado, 23, said he was sitting about 15 feet away from Matilde Garnica Juarez, After the crash, he saw a 4-year-old girl covered in blood.

“My Marine instincts kicked in when I saw that little girl crying,” Delgado said, adding that he picked her up because people were running everywhere and he was afraid she would be trampled.

“She was bleeding all over me. I had to throw away my (clothes); there was so much blood.”

…

“The Fourth of July is about remembering the troops and the people fighting overseas,” Delgado said. “But this is the Fourth of July I’ll always have in my head. Who can forget that girl? There’s nothing in this world that can make me forget what I saw.”

I posted a copy of a Signal comment yesterday in which an eyewitness describes spectators lifting the car off the victims. Here it is again:

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And from the updated Signal story, reader “brutusmos” says it took ten minutes for emergency responders to get to the scene. In the meantime:

My family and I were sitting 10 feet away. I looked over and a white car was rolling and coming towards me and my family. I grabbed my daughter and rolled with the crowd. My son-in-law being a U.S. MARINE ran with other men to help lift the car off of the children that were underneath trapped. I state the fireworks were still going the citizens helped while many were shaken up others were trying to call on their cell phones for emergency help. NO EMERGENCY HELP responded. It was all citizens. 10 min. later help arrived at the scene.

One woman, Toni Glendenning, saw the accident from the north side of Valencia Blvd. She and her husband actually ran across the street to assist. The Daily News:

Toni, a nurse, her husband, Kenneth, and Shallon, who just finished emergency medical training at College of the Canyons, were watching the fireworks from across the street and ran to help.

Shallon made sure one of the boys was breathing, checked his pulse and kept him stable.

“It makes you realize how precious life is,” said Shallon, 20.

In that same Daily News story, an off-duty Sheriff’s Deputy is described as rushing a 4 year old girl to Mayo hospital in his patrol car. I’m not clear if it’s the same girl the Marine picked up.

Fresh eyewitness accounts continue to pour into SCVTalk and all the other news sites, including this one from an SCVTalk reader who says she she saw the the white Inifiniti prior to the crash:

When we happened upon the scene of the accident, probably 10-15 seconds after it had occured, we were completely confused. The light was red, so we were stopped. There were probably close to a hundred people swarming all around. People were screaming from across the mall entrance. There was no police on hand at this point. I saw tons of teenagers, all with their camera/video phones recording the accident.

…

My husband made the decision to turn left into the mall lot and then try to U-Turn from there. At this time, probably a good 2-3 minutes later, one cop finally showed up at the scene. We were able to make the turn into the mall and U-Turn fairly quickly so that we could still see what was happening. One car decided to squeeze through the accident scene to continue on Valencia Blvd. We were appalled that someone would be in such a rush, have such little regard for human life as to just squeeze through like that and continue on their way. We were about the 3rd or 4th car at the mall entrance now and it took probably another 3-4 minutes before we finally saw the parade of law enforcement arrive. They came one right after another, cops, firemen, ambulance. Finally, they had one cop directing people where to go.

Yesterday over 4,000 people read the short post I wrote summarizing the news sources about the incident. People are angry and very upset here on the blog and throughout town.

After reading the dozens of comments and several news stories over the last day and a half, it feels like I know a lot about what happened. But these questions stand out in my mind:

Why don’t we know the names of the drivers yet? In virtually any other crash like this, law enforcement releases the names of all involved. In April, when a pileup on the 5 freeway killed four, we not only knew the names of the victims, but we read about charges being brought against one of the drivers mere hours after the crash.
For that matter, why was the driver who ran the red light released so quickly?
How fast was the white Infiniti driving at the time the driver ran the red light?
Why was there an initial report (now labeled as incorrect) that a Sheriff’s patrol car was involved in the collision?
Virtually all the eyewitness accounts agree (including my own observations): there was a lack of traffic enforcement and law enforcement personnel in the area prior to the crash. Why?
Is there footage from traffic cameras nearby that shows what happened?
Many people are disturbed and saddened by this incident. Why hasn’t the City Council and the Mayor released a statement or shown leadership on this matter? What are they doing to get to the bottom of this? A one line sentence to The Signal from the City’s press officer is not a statement.

All that’s before we get to the question of whether the City should have shut Valencia Blvd down, which, in my opinion, is a fair queston to ask when you consider that 20,000 people were scattered about downtown Valencia for hours on end.

Comments (25)

CCJuly 6, 2010 at 9:28 am

Wow, this is simply tragic. I didn’t find out about it until this morning’s news on Channel 2 which showed some footage. Horrific for everyone involved. I am sure, that there will be a lot of examination of the surrounding circumstances of this accident to determine if there should be any changes in policy. In the end, it only takes one careless driver to change a life forever. My sympathies to the family.

ThomasJuly 6, 2010 at 10:33 am

Jeff, when you find out the answeres, let us know. As a police officer, each case has its own set of facts. Names of victims normally aren’t released until next of kin are notified. What should the driver of the vehicle been detained for? At this point, she has been identified and there are no charges until a full investigation has been done. They have already said she wasn’t drunk. In regards to the speed, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. Why does the city council have to release a statement? Yea, it was a city event, but it doesn’t mean they have to say anything. My question is why were so many people sitting on the curb on such a busy street. I would never sit my kids or family that near to that street. This is not a Sheriff problem. This is called personal responsibility. There will be people congragating everywhere for this event. Does that mean the Sheriff’s should close down every street where they see people watching the fireworks? People are angry that this happened? These are the same people who will keep attending events like this and putting their families in danger as well. Don’t blame everything on the Sheriff’s. There are only so many here. Plus, the sheriffs don’t enforce traffic laws out here anyways. There are so many places they can set up to shoot radar or laser, but you never see them. Getting them to do anything out here is ridiculous.

OlenkaJuly 6, 2010 at 11:12 am

I agree with Thomas. People get angry when tragedy strikes, and instead of just accepting it as a freak accident — a tragedy in all sense of the word — people find it necessary to point fingers and lay blame on someone or something. “The City should have closed down the streets.” “There should have been more police/traffic controllers.” They shoulda done this. They shoulda done that. Now people are asking for the city to offer counseling to the bystanders that are suffering from post traumatic stress. REALLY? The same people who are getting angry at the city for not closing down the streets would be the same people who would get angry if the city did close down the streets. How about we avoid the whole fireworks celebration all together? Then we wouldn’t have to worry about anything, right? With all the anger coming out of such a tragic event, the drivers should feel fortunate that law enforcement didn’t release their names. Could you imagine the hate that these two young individuals would receive if it did? It’s already bad enough the 22-year-old girl has to live with the fact that her carelessness cost the life of a woman and changed the lives of so many people. It was her car that slammed into that family. She doesn’t need the hate and anger of an entire community on top of that.

Mark from SaugusJuly 6, 2010 at 12:45 pm

I agree, Olenka. These Monday morning quarterbacks blaming the City are ridiculous. The City would also have to close McBean, Magic Mountain, Citrus, etc. While what happened was indeed tragic, this event has gone on for years without a problem.

cashJuly 6, 2010 at 3:37 pm

Sorry Mark, but the city had a major role here. The lawyers will have a field day. Obviously having fireworks at this location is no longer practical. The venue can no longer accommodate the attendance the event now draws. Things will change if the city council is ontop of things.

CCJuly 6, 2010 at 1:08 pm

I agree. I would, however, ask that the City have more Sheriffs on duty in the vicinity to discourage people from dangerous driving next time. Valencia Blvd., is a mini-highway. Sitting on the curb of this street with your kids just isn’t smart.

cashJuly 6, 2010 at 3:29 pm

Yep!

SMJuly 7, 2010 at 1:49 am

I have to once again point out things like, on any given day, you can see children playing in the area outside of Starbucks on McBean and Valencia, within the same distance from the Boulevard. How many of us allow our children to play on the grassy hill outside of the Habit in Granary Square, despite the frequent accidents there? How many of us simply walk down Valencia Boulevard with our children, the same distance from the street as this woman was? We all rely on our own knowledge of waiting for a “WALK” sign at intersections, along with drivers’ obeying traffic laws, and in the case of city-sponsored events, appropriate added security measures. It just isn’t fair to say her actions weren’t “smart,” case closed. We’ve all placed ourselves in the same line of fire, and not thought twice about it. She didn’t jump out in front of a car, she didn’t run into the street when a red hand signal warned her not to. She wasn’t in a security or law-enforcement restricted area. This is not strict liability based on bad-seating choice. If it were that simple, hockey venues could stop investing in protective shields for the front rows right now.

SMJuly 7, 2010 at 1:54 am

I don’t see how her actions were any different than if it had been an ordinary day, and she and her family were waiting at that intersection to cross. Would any of us have then said, “As a parent, I blame her poor choice of standing location”?

JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 11:22 am

The best analogy I’ve seen yet. I find it appaling that some (a few), but some suggest that sitting on the grass was some bad of bad decision making. As I’v said before, it’s not like they held the thing in the park or something. The City needs to step up and recognize the failure here. The bold face lie about not closing it off due to emergency services is disturbing the public. There was even one clown who felt that eveyone should have sat on McBean Pkwy where the sparks were landing as opposed to Valencia Blvd. Closing All three majors around the mall is a basic and fundamental special event planning principle that was NEGLECTED. Where do they expect people to sit. Seriously, name some alternative if the grass along the sidewalks is deemed foolish by the fools. Serioulsy, I’d love to hear just one reasonable alternative since the City felt they didn’t need to close the damn street.

DamageincJuly 9, 2010 at 1:02 pm

Yeah it is not unreasonable to make police and fire emergency vehicles run all the way down magic mountain, then take 5 south, exit Mcbean to get to that part of town on the 4th of July. But don’t let the facts get in the way of your gripe session.

JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 1:53 pm

Damageinc, any reasonable alternative or than not attend the thing?

JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 1:55 pm

Damageinc, did you know that emergency vehicles are exempt from the rulesof the road?

ShawnaJuly 6, 2010 at 11:28 am

I just want to comment about the delayed response of emergency personnel. I was seated in the mall parking lot directly across from the fire station. During the finale of the fireworks, we began hearing sirens. As soon as the finale was over, cars were already crowding the streets. The firetrucks and police officers could not get through. The firefighters were on the bullhorn shouting that they had a call and everyone had to move so they could get through, but NO ONE MOVED! I know it took a good 5 minutes just for one truck to get through the chaos. How inconsiderate do you have to be to not get out of the way of an emergency vehicle? Even my kids (ages 5 and asked why no one was moving. And this is a big problem in SCV all the time, not just during events. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been nearly rear-ended because I’m stopping for an emergency vehicle. Everyone is too full of themselves to get out of the way for 5 seconds, and because of that, people get hurt, or in this case, die.

someoneJuly 6, 2010 at 11:42 am

I agree with the few other posters so far. This is a tragic event but I dont know why the City should be expected to release a statement. People die in this City everyday from natural causes to other horrific events. If the City wants to release a statement, that’s fine but I dont think it should be expected. I also agree with Olenka. If the City shut down the street, there would be complaints from people about it. I know the City will definitely look at changing things next year. Its a shame somebody died but if it operated this way for the past 15 years without incident, I dont see how everyone is up in arms about it. Its the natural evolution of how safety progresses. Think about when you were a kid and take example roller coasters: they didnt uses to have head restraints. They didnt have the gates from keeping you in the loading area. Unfortunately, it takes a life before things get done.

JaneJuly 6, 2010 at 11:59 am

Agree on folks not yielding to emergency vehicles. But you aren’t supposed to stop for them, you’re supposed to pull over to the right and then stop. Stopping in all lanes just creates a bigger jam.

ThomasJuly 7, 2010 at 6:05 am

That is also when they have there siren and lights on. We know the fire department did in this case, but does anyone else notice most of the time, the fire department responds to calls with just there lights on. By law, you are not required to pull over to the side. Just FYI.

ThomasJuly 7, 2010 at 6:06 am

Meant to say, you are not required to pull over if they don’t have both the siren and forward facing red light on.

JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 11:26 am

So it’s late at night. Traffic is light and FD decides not turn on the siren to keep the peace. Unfortunately, they come behind you, the leagal beagel, and you’re not going to pull to the right because they don’t have the siren on. Boy, that’s great!

SMJuly 6, 2010 at 6:56 pm

The City and the driver are to blame. The percentage attributed to each will surely be decided by the courts. However, I find a lot of questions in regard to the City’s actions. I did not understand why McBean was blocked off, but not Valencia, or, the entire perimeter of the show, for that matter. To say that that is ridiculous or infeasible is not an acceptable excuse. If that is truly the case, then, no we can’t have this show continue as it does now, with no increase in safety measures at all. Even if this was the first life lost, the fact remains that a life was lost… and to say, “There’s nothing we can do about it,” is unacceptable. That life was lost instantly, without a chance of rescue, without warning. If we change nothing, and shrug it off as a tragic, but “freak accident” not likely to happen again, are we really ready to say we risked our children’s lives going to this event each year? Are we going to let this mother’s death be in vain? Are we really going to let her children see us all at the fireworks show again next year, nothing changed, just because we’re too attached to our annual tradition, so attached that their mother’s death wasn’t even worth us demanding reconsideration of how this event is held? A street light stopped that car from going further, deeper into the crowd, where people standing thought they were a safe distance from the street. Monday morning quarterbacks are those who say, “I wouldn’t have had my children that close.” Well, I saw the streets already lined with hundreds of families that day, picnicking, with blankets and lunches, before ANY streets were blocked off, hours before the show was even set to start. So, apparently many families thought this was a safe thing to do, with less law enforcement and more traffic. I didn’t look at them, shake my head, and say, “Pshh. Idiots.” I actually said, “Oh, no! There’s not going to be anywhere for us to sit!” No one was expecting this, and no one can say any distance from that street was acceptably “safe.” However, had the street been closed, we wouldn’t have even had to gauge where the point of safety from a passing car was. Not only was McBean closed, it also had a great deal of security hired by the city, directing traffic, standing beside areas blocked by orange tape, where people were restricted from entering. If this woman’s choice of seating was so poor, why was it not blocked off by tape, or guarded? On McBean, workers stood on the sidewalk in front of people outside of Origami, to keep them out of the street (even though it was blocked off). I didn’t understand why only 1/4 of those attending were so well-protected. At any rate, it shows that, yes, it is feasible… at least for a quarter of the “venue.” If the City finds that this same guarantee of safety isn’t feasible for the remainder, then yes, I am ready to give up the annual show. I’m tired of reading comments that allude to, “Don’t complain to much because then we’ll lose our fireworks show.” A woman lost her life, as her husband, children and community watched. Children were injured, one critically… many emotionally…. So, yeah. I think this would be the point when we should all be ready to give up our annual tradition if the City refuses to or can’t implement the necessary safety measures. No one should be afraid to ask questions for fear of losing this show. Our City let us down. No matter how much we try to distinguish what we “would have” done, with slight changes in the circumstances, that could have been any one of us or our children. No fireworks in the world are worth that. Sure, it was only once. But isn’t once enough?

scv residentJuly 6, 2010 at 11:16 pm

I agree with Thomas. The accident about 2 months ago on McBean with the lost of Deputy Cameron Glover on his motorcycle due to a driver who didn’t see him was never given her name to the public.

RikkiJuly 7, 2010 at 2:22 pm

It’s bad all over Santa Clarita. I see carelessness every day! Newhall Ranch Road and Golden Valley road (the cross valley connector) is like the Autobahn. I never see any cops! And the people still driving with the cell phones and the texting is way out of control! There obviously isn’t any enforcement, because it is worse than it was when the law was put into place 2 years ago! These people with their cell phones are the most selfish people in the world and they have no regard for anyone else. Is it possible that the driver from Sunday night was distracted by a cell phone???

scv residentJuly 7, 2010 at 4:31 pm

Why don’t you apply to become a deputy and then you can see how it really is out here. Then you’ll realize how large scv is and not enough traffic deputies. And you’ll see how much people call for dumb circumstances to crime cats. Till then be quiet.

scv residentJuly 7, 2010 at 4:34 pm

Cars*

Tony MianoJuly 7, 2010 at 4:44 pm

I served as a deputy sheriff in Santa Clarita for 20 years, and as a department for 8 years. I will be at the scene with my cross most afternoons, for the time being. If anyone would like to talk about what they experienced that night, at the scene, I’m willing to listen. Or you can contact me through my blog. Here to serve.

CCJuly 6, 2010 at 9:28 am
Wow, this is simply tragic. I didn’t find out about it until this morning’s news on Channel 2 which showed some footage. Horrific for everyone involved. I am sure, that there will be a lot of examination of the surrounding circumstances of this accident to determine if there should be any changes in policy. In the end, it only takes one careless driver to change a life forever. My sympathies to the family.
ThomasJuly 6, 2010 at 10:33 am
Jeff, when you find out the answeres, let us know. As a police officer, each case has its own set of facts. Names of victims normally aren’t released until next of kin are notified. What should the driver of the vehicle been detained for? At this point, she has been identified and there are no charges until a full investigation has been done. They have already said she wasn’t drunk. In regards to the speed, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. Why does the city council have to release a statement? Yea, it was a city event, but it doesn’t mean they have to say anything. My question is why were so many people sitting on the curb on such a busy street. I would never sit my kids or family that near to that street. This is not a Sheriff problem. This is called personal responsibility. There will be people congragating everywhere for this event. Does that mean the Sheriff’s should close down every street where they see people watching the fireworks? People are angry that this happened? These are the same people who will keep attending events like this and putting their families in danger as well. Don’t blame everything on the Sheriff’s. There are only so many here. Plus, the sheriffs don’t enforce traffic laws out here anyways. There are so many places they can set up to shoot radar or laser, but you never see them. Getting them to do anything out here is ridiculous.
OlenkaJuly 6, 2010 at 11:12 am
I agree with Thomas. People get angry when tragedy strikes, and instead of just accepting it as a freak accident — a tragedy in all sense of the word — people find it necessary to point fingers and lay blame on someone or something. “The City should have closed down the streets.” “There should have been more police/traffic controllers.” They shoulda done this. They shoulda done that. Now people are asking for the city to offer counseling to the bystanders that are suffering from post traumatic stress. REALLY? The same people who are getting angry at the city for not closing down the streets would be the same people who would get angry if the city did close down the streets. How about we avoid the whole fireworks celebration all together? Then we wouldn’t have to worry about anything, right? With all the anger coming out of such a tragic event, the drivers should feel fortunate that law enforcement didn’t release their names. Could you imagine the hate that these two young individuals would receive if it did? It’s already bad enough the 22-year-old girl has to live with the fact that her carelessness cost the life of a woman and changed the lives of so many people. It was her car that slammed into that family. She doesn’t need the hate and anger of an entire community on top of that.
Mark from SaugusJuly 6, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I agree, Olenka. These Monday morning quarterbacks blaming the City are ridiculous. The City would also have to close McBean, Magic Mountain, Citrus, etc. While what happened was indeed tragic, this event has gone on for years without a problem.
cashJuly 6, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Sorry Mark, but the city had a major role here. The lawyers will have a field day. Obviously having fireworks at this location is no longer practical. The venue can no longer accommodate the attendance the event now draws. Things will change if the city council is ontop of things.
CCJuly 6, 2010 at 1:08 pm
I agree. I would, however, ask that the City have more Sheriffs on duty in the vicinity to discourage people from dangerous driving next time. Valencia Blvd., is a mini-highway. Sitting on the curb of this street with your kids just isn’t smart.
cashJuly 6, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Yep!
SMJuly 7, 2010 at 1:49 am
I have to once again point out things like, on any given day, you can see children playing in the area outside of Starbucks on McBean and Valencia, within the same distance from the Boulevard. How many of us allow our children to play on the grassy hill outside of the Habit in Granary Square, despite the frequent accidents there? How many of us simply walk down Valencia Boulevard with our children, the same distance from the street as this woman was? We all rely on our own knowledge of waiting for a “WALK” sign at intersections, along with drivers’ obeying traffic laws, and in the case of city-sponsored events, appropriate added security measures. It just isn’t fair to say her actions weren’t “smart,” case closed. We’ve all placed ourselves in the same line of fire, and not thought twice about it. She didn’t jump out in front of a car, she didn’t run into the street when a red hand signal warned her not to. She wasn’t in a security or law-enforcement restricted area. This is not strict liability based on bad-seating choice. If it were that simple, hockey venues could stop investing in protective shields for the front rows right now.
SMJuly 7, 2010 at 1:54 am
I don’t see how her actions were any different than if it had been an ordinary day, and she and her family were waiting at that intersection to cross. Would any of us have then said, “As a parent, I blame her poor choice of standing location”?
JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 11:22 am
The best analogy I’ve seen yet. I find it appaling that some (a few), but some suggest that sitting on the grass was some bad of bad decision making. As I’v said before, it’s not like they held the thing in the park or something. The City needs to step up and recognize the failure here. The bold face lie about not closing it off due to emergency services is disturbing the public. There was even one clown who felt that eveyone should have sat on McBean Pkwy where the sparks were landing as opposed to Valencia Blvd. Closing All three majors around the mall is a basic and fundamental special event planning principle that was NEGLECTED. Where do they expect people to sit. Seriously, name some alternative if the grass along the sidewalks is deemed foolish by the fools. Serioulsy, I’d love to hear just one reasonable alternative since the City felt they didn’t need to close the damn street.
DamageincJuly 9, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Yeah it is not unreasonable to make police and fire emergency vehicles run all the way down magic mountain, then take 5 south, exit Mcbean to get to that part of town on the 4th of July. But don’t let the facts get in the way of your gripe session.
JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Damageinc, any reasonable alternative or than not attend the thing?
JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Damageinc, did you know that emergency vehicles are exempt from the rulesof the road?
ShawnaJuly 6, 2010 at 11:28 am
I just want to comment about the delayed response of emergency personnel. I was seated in the mall parking lot directly across from the fire station. During the finale of the fireworks, we began hearing sirens. As soon as the finale was over, cars were already crowding the streets. The firetrucks and police officers could not get through. The firefighters were on the bullhorn shouting that they had a call and everyone had to move so they could get through, but NO ONE MOVED! I know it took a good 5 minutes just for one truck to get through the chaos. How inconsiderate do you have to be to not get out of the way of an emergency vehicle? Even my kids (ages 5 and asked why no one was moving. And this is a big problem in SCV all the time, not just during events. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been nearly rear-ended because I’m stopping for an emergency vehicle. Everyone is too full of themselves to get out of the way for 5 seconds, and because of that, people get hurt, or in this case, die.
someoneJuly 6, 2010 at 11:42 am
I agree with the few other posters so far. This is a tragic event but I dont know why the City should be expected to release a statement. People die in this City everyday from natural causes to other horrific events. If the City wants to release a statement, that’s fine but I dont think it should be expected. I also agree with Olenka. If the City shut down the street, there would be complaints from people about it. I know the City will definitely look at changing things next year. Its a shame somebody died but if it operated this way for the past 15 years without incident, I dont see how everyone is up in arms about it. Its the natural evolution of how safety progresses. Think about when you were a kid and take example roller coasters: they didnt uses to have head restraints. They didnt have the gates from keeping you in the loading area. Unfortunately, it takes a life before things get done.
JaneJuly 6, 2010 at 11:59 am
Agree on folks not yielding to emergency vehicles. But you aren’t supposed to stop for them, you’re supposed to pull over to the right and then stop. Stopping in all lanes just creates a bigger jam.
ThomasJuly 7, 2010 at 6:05 am
That is also when they have there siren and lights on. We know the fire department did in this case, but does anyone else notice most of the time, the fire department responds to calls with just there lights on. By law, you are not required to pull over to the side. Just FYI.
ThomasJuly 7, 2010 at 6:06 am
Meant to say, you are not required to pull over if they don’t have both the siren and forward facing red light on.
JohnJuly 9, 2010 at 11:26 am
So it’s late at night. Traffic is light and FD decides not turn on the siren to keep the peace. Unfortunately, they come behind you, the leagal beagel, and you’re not going to pull to the right because they don’t have the siren on. Boy, that’s great!
SMJuly 6, 2010 at 6:56 pm
The City and the driver are to blame. The percentage attributed to each will surely be decided by the courts. However, I find a lot of questions in regard to the City’s actions. I did not understand why McBean was blocked off, but not Valencia, or, the entire perimeter of the show, for that matter. To say that that is ridiculous or infeasible is not an acceptable excuse. If that is truly the case, then, no we can’t have this show continue as it does now, with no increase in safety measures at all. Even if this was the first life lost, the fact remains that a life was lost… and to say, “There’s nothing we can do about it,” is unacceptable. That life was lost instantly, without a chance of rescue, without warning. If we change nothing, and shrug it off as a tragic, but “freak accident” not likely to happen again, are we really ready to say we risked our children’s lives going to this event each year? Are we going to let this mother’s death be in vain? Are we really going to let her children see us all at the fireworks show again next year, nothing changed, just because we’re too attached to our annual tradition, so attached that their mother’s death wasn’t even worth us demanding reconsideration of how this event is held? A street light stopped that car from going further, deeper into the crowd, where people standing thought they were a safe distance from the street. Monday morning quarterbacks are those who say, “I wouldn’t have had my children that close.” Well, I saw the streets already lined with hundreds of families that day, picnicking, with blankets and lunches, before ANY streets were blocked off, hours before the show was even set to start. So, apparently many families thought this was a safe thing to do, with less law enforcement and more traffic. I didn’t look at them, shake my head, and say, “Pshh. Idiots.” I actually said, “Oh, no! There’s not going to be anywhere for us to sit!” No one was expecting this, and no one can say any distance from that street was acceptably “safe.” However, had the street been closed, we wouldn’t have even had to gauge where the point of safety from a passing car was. Not only was McBean closed, it also had a great deal of security hired by the city, directing traffic, standing beside areas blocked by orange tape, where people were restricted from entering. If this woman’s choice of seating was so poor, why was it not blocked off by tape, or guarded? On McBean, workers stood on the sidewalk in front of people outside of Origami, to keep them out of the street (even though it was blocked off). I didn’t understand why only 1/4 of those attending were so well-protected. At any rate, it shows that, yes, it is feasible… at least for a quarter of the “venue.” If the City finds that this same guarantee of safety isn’t feasible for the remainder, then yes, I am ready to give up the annual show. I’m tired of reading comments that allude to, “Don’t complain to much because then we’ll lose our fireworks show.” A woman lost her life, as her husband, children and community watched. Children were injured, one critically… many emotionally…. So, yeah. I think this would be the point when we should all be ready to give up our annual tradition if the City refuses to or can’t implement the necessary safety measures. No one should be afraid to ask questions for fear of losing this show. Our City let us down. No matter how much we try to distinguish what we “would have” done, with slight changes in the circumstances, that could have been any one of us or our children. No fireworks in the world are worth that. Sure, it was only once. But isn’t once enough?
scv residentJuly 6, 2010 at 11:16 pm
I agree with Thomas. The accident about 2 months ago on McBean with the lost of Deputy Cameron Glover on his motorcycle due to a driver who didn’t see him was never given her name to the public.
RikkiJuly 7, 2010 at 2:22 pm
It’s bad all over Santa Clarita. I see carelessness every day! Newhall Ranch Road and Golden Valley road (the cross valley connector) is like the Autobahn. I never see any cops! And the people still driving with the cell phones and the texting is way out of control! There obviously isn’t any enforcement, because it is worse than it was when the law was put into place 2 years ago! These people with their cell phones are the most selfish people in the world and they have no regard for anyone else. Is it possible that the driver from Sunday night was distracted by a cell phone???
scv residentJuly 7, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Why don’t you apply to become a deputy and then you can see how it really is out here. Then you’ll realize how large scv is and not enough traffic deputies. And you’ll see how much people call for dumb circumstances to crime cats. Till then be quiet.
scv residentJuly 7, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Cars*
Tony MianoJuly 7, 2010 at 4:44 pm
I served as a deputy sheriff in Santa Clarita for 20 years, and as a department for 8 years. I will be at the scene with my cross most afternoons, for the time being. If anyone would like to talk about what they experienced that night, at the scene, I’m willing to listen. Or you can contact me through my blog. Here to serve.