Head-On Collision Kills 4 Year Old Boy
The California Highway Patrol has confirmed that a four year old little boy was sadly killed in a head- on collision. The boys mother was seriously injured and the Napa County Restaurateur was also hurt in the violent crash. The accident happened on Sunday in the afternoon.
The young boy and his mother, 25-year-old Ariel Kirk, were in a Chevy Equinox SUV that had collided with the oncoming Lexus RX 450. The accident took place on Highway 12/121 around three:thirty-five that evening.
The emergency workers tried to save the boys life by performing CPR on him. He was then transported by Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office helicopter to a local hospital. The little boy was then pronounced dead at the hospital.
The little boy’s mom, who was in the Equinox’s passenger seat was also flown to the hospital. However, the condition of the driver that day, twenty-three year old Flavio Castellanos was not available.
Fifty-eight year old, Cindy Pawlcyn who has been a restaurant owner in St. Helena for quite some time, was the passenger in the Lexus SUV. She was taken by ambulance, along with her sixty-six year old husband, John Watanabe, which was driving the Lexus SUV. According to the California Highway Patrol officer, Cindy’s injuries were listed as moderate, her husbands was listed as minor.
According to the eye witnesses, the Equinox had crossed the double-yellow line right before the wreck. However, the reason for the wreck was still unclear on Sunday. The impact of the collision tore the noses of both SUV’s. The front ends were crumpled almost to the windshields.
California Highway Patrol Officer Paulson’s statement:
Both vehicles were at or near the speed limit — there was almost no braking except maybe a last-second swerve. They hit almost front license plate to front license plate; it was about as head-on as you can get. They may have tried to swerve but there was no time to get out of the way.
The little boy was in his booster seat during the crash. According to Paulson’s report, all of the victims were wearing their seat belts at the time of the accident. There was also no indication of the use of alcohol or drugs from either drivers. The Police had to close the 12/121 in both directions. The highway was closed for more than three hours after the accident.
Source: https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/updated-boy-killed-restaurateur-cindy-pawlcyn-hurt-in-carneros-crash/article_bba7b00e-bdea-11e3-bb61-0019bb2963f4.html
Daniel A. Gibalevich
