A candlelight vigil for the victims of a deadly crash in Chicano Park and their families was held Sunday night in the park under the Coronado Bridge.
Reverend Shane Harris, Pastor Lonnie Lynch of the Revival Time Church in Chicano Park and other religious leaders led the vigil in the park, where a truck plunged more than 60 feet into a crowd on Saturday, according to NBC 7,
Four people were killed, while nine — including the suspect driving the truck — were injured. The park, where La Raza Run motorcycle rally was held Saturday, now features a growing memorial of flowers and other types of tributes to the victims.
The truck driver, Richard Anthony Sepolio — a 25-year-old, on-duty Navy serviceman stationed in Coronado — was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, causing injury or death. He could face four counts of vehicular homicide, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities identified the four deceased as a 50-year-old woman and 62-year-old man, both from Chandler, Arizona; and a 49-year-old woman and 59-year-old man, both from Hacienda Heights. Authorities have not released their names.
According to a 10News report, investigators on Saturday used a curtain to surround an area where the truck landed. The GMC truck landed on its side on top of four people, said Chief Brian Fennessy of San Diego Fire-Rescue on Saturday. People attending the festival were able to get the badly damaged truck upright, Capt. Chuck Kaye of the San Diego Police Department said.
Sepolio suffered major trauma and is being treated for his injuries at UC San Diego Medical Center, Sanchez said. The injured victims were taken to either UC San Diego or Scripps Mercy hospitals for treatment, said Lee Swanson, spokesperson for San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. All the injured victims are adults, authorities said. Their conditions also were unavailable.
Praying for victims & families affected by the tragedy in Chicano Park.Devastated this occured in one of our community’s most beloved places
— Kevin Faulconer (@Kevin_Faulconer) October 16, 2016
No police officers were pursuing Sepolio before he crashed, the CHP said. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer sent out a tweet Saturday that read: “praying for victims & families affected by tragedy in Chicano Park. Devastated this occurred in one of our community’s most beloved places.”
— City News Service
