Four Los Angeles-area Nazarene teens were killed when their vehicle hit a concrete highway divider Friday. (LA Times photo)
Four Nazarene youth killed in L.A. car crash
Pomona, California
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Los Angeles Times story:
Five young men were part of a caravan of vehicles motoring to an Ontario, California, ice skating rink for a youth group outing Friday, April 11, when their car swerved on the 60 Freeway in Pomona and slammed into a concrete divider.
Three were hurled from the Toyota Camry--one tossed clear to the other side of the road. Within moments, members of Walnut, California, Blessing Church of the Nazarene found two of the young men already dead.
"Everyone regrouped back here. We had to tell the parents of those who died," said Peter Lundell, a co-pastor at the primarily Korean church.
When a third young man died in the hospital, spirits plummeted further. The dead included a 19-year-old, an 18-year-old, and a 16-year-old.
"That sort of sent everyone into a whole new depth of depression," the pastor said.
Then, just a few hours later, a fourth, a 21-year-old man, was dead too.
Lundell said the young men, David Chung, Daniel Kim, Richard Kim, and Kevin Na, were a mix of recent congregants. At least two had been cultivated within the fold for years while at least one of the youths had struggled with the ups and downs of a hard life. But things had been looking up, Lundell said.
"They loved God. They loved Jesus. Their lives were changing," the pastor said as church members grieved nearby, too heartbroken to talk. "One of them had grown up in the church, and we had been through a lot with him. We were so proud of him, and we were excited about what he was going to do with his life."
California Highway Patrol Officer Joe Zizi said the 10:45 A.M. crash occurred west of Reservoir Street and involved excessive speed. He said it was unclear whether the driver was speeding to catch up with others or racing.
He said witnesses told officers that the Toyota was traveling near a silver Dodge Neon--later stopped by investigators for questioning--at the time of the accident.
Only two of the men in the Toyota were wearing a seat belt, one remaining in the vehicle, and the other tossed out. The Toyota was registered to one of the men traveling in the car.
Investigators stopped the occupants of the Dodge at an exit east of the crash site. The occupants told officers that they were on a church trip with the victims.
Lundell said he had been told that the driver of the Toyota was "speeding to catch up" to a car ahead, "not racing with them, not side by side."
He said that the victims were Korean Americans and that two of them, a 19-year-old who died, and a 16-year-old who was the lone survivor, were brothers. Lundell said he heard from the hospital that the 16-year-old might survive.
The pastor ministers mostly to the English-speaking members of the church. He said he drove to the scene after he found out about the crash.
"It was gruesome," Lundell said, his voice cracking. "The car impacted very fiercely. It was airborne at one time and hit the center post."
He said the duty of talking about the young men had fallen to him because "it seems everyone's tears are dried out and nobody can talk."
The pastor said the young men were "happy guys" who were finding their purpose in life. At least one was a student at Mt. San Antonio College and one attended Walnut High School, he said.
"The consolation is they were good guys and I know they're with the Lord," Lundell said. "But we're still on this earth and we grieve."
--Los Angeles Times (Slideshow available)
For more information and a photo gallery, see: L.A. Times story
For a television news report from KNBC: Click Here
A follow-up story on the victims was published on Sunday by the L.A. Times. To read the story, click here: Walnut church recalls four of its own
Important note: The Walnut Blessing church is requesting prayer for the parents of David Chung, Daniel Kim, Richard Kim, and Kevin Na.
Prayer is also requested for Stanley Na (whose brother did not make it). Na's neck was broken, though the nerves were not damaged. He is presently in stable condition. On Thursday, April 17, he underwent surgery to place a plate that will stabilize the damaged vertebrae.
Funeral services were held Thursday, April 17. The church is collecting condolences and donations that will be delivered directly to the families.
For contact information, please see: Walnut Blessing Church
Five young men were part of a caravan of vehicles motoring to an Ontario, California, ice skating rink for a youth group outing Friday, April 11, when their car swerved on the 60 Freeway in Pomona and slammed into a concrete divider.
Three were hurled from the Toyota Camry--one tossed clear to the other side of the road. Within moments, members of Walnut, California, Blessing Church of the Nazarene found two of the young men already dead.
"Everyone regrouped back here. We had to tell the parents of those who died," said Peter Lundell, a co-pastor at the primarily Korean church.
When a third young man died in the hospital, spirits plummeted further. The dead included a 19-year-old, an 18-year-old, and a 16-year-old.
"That sort of sent everyone into a whole new depth of depression," the pastor said.
Then, just a few hours later, a fourth, a 21-year-old man, was dead too.
Lundell said the young men, David Chung, Daniel Kim, Richard Kim, and Kevin Na, were a mix of recent congregants. At least two had been cultivated within the fold for years while at least one of the youths had struggled with the ups and downs of a hard life. But things had been looking up, Lundell said.
"They loved God. They loved Jesus. Their lives were changing," the pastor said as church members grieved nearby, too heartbroken to talk. "One of them had grown up in the church, and we had been through a lot with him. We were so proud of him, and we were excited about what he was going to do with his life."
California Highway Patrol Officer Joe Zizi said the 10:45 A.M. crash occurred west of Reservoir Street and involved excessive speed. He said it was unclear whether the driver was speeding to catch up with others or racing.
He said witnesses told officers that the Toyota was traveling near a silver Dodge Neon--later stopped by investigators for questioning--at the time of the accident.
Only two of the men in the Toyota were wearing a seat belt, one remaining in the vehicle, and the other tossed out. The Toyota was registered to one of the men traveling in the car.
Investigators stopped the occupants of the Dodge at an exit east of the crash site. The occupants told officers that they were on a church trip with the victims.
Lundell said he had been told that the driver of the Toyota was "speeding to catch up" to a car ahead, "not racing with them, not side by side."
He said that the victims were Korean Americans and that two of them, a 19-year-old who died, and a 16-year-old who was the lone survivor, were brothers. Lundell said he heard from the hospital that the 16-year-old might survive.
The pastor ministers mostly to the English-speaking members of the church. He said he drove to the scene after he found out about the crash.
"It was gruesome," Lundell said, his voice cracking. "The car impacted very fiercely. It was airborne at one time and hit the center post."
He said the duty of talking about the young men had fallen to him because "it seems everyone's tears are dried out and nobody can talk."
The pastor said the young men were "happy guys" who were finding their purpose in life. At least one was a student at Mt. San Antonio College and one attended Walnut High School, he said.
"The consolation is they were good guys and I know they're with the Lord," Lundell said. "But we're still on this earth and we grieve."
--Los Angeles Times (Slideshow available)
For more information and a photo gallery, see: L.A. Times story
For a television news report from KNBC: Click Here
A follow-up story on the victims was published on Sunday by the L.A. Times. To read the story, click here: Walnut church recalls four of its own
Important note: The Walnut Blessing church is requesting prayer for the parents of David Chung, Daniel Kim, Richard Kim, and Kevin Na.
Prayer is also requested for Stanley Na (whose brother did not make it). Na's neck was broken, though the nerves were not damaged. He is presently in stable condition. On Thursday, April 17, he underwent surgery to place a plate that will stabilize the damaged vertebrae.
Funeral services were held Thursday, April 17. The church is collecting condolences and donations that will be delivered directly to the families.
For contact information, please see: Walnut Blessing Church
