Driver, 16, dies several days after crash into Anderson tree

ANDERSON — A Cottonwood teen who has remained in critical condition since losing control of his SUV and crashing into an Anderson tree last week succumbed to his injuries and passed away yesterday, Monday, Oct. 22. The crash that ultimately proved fatal happened on Rhonda Rd. near Lynn Hart Dr., according to CHP.

LEADING THE SCNS HEADLINES:

Ejected victim dies after 299E rollover crash near FRM

Happy Valley man arrested after roommate shot in chest during argument

UPDATED: Officials investigating 299E rollover accident near Montgomery Creek

Sixteen-year-old Tyson Wacker sustained major traumatic injuries around 9 p.m., last Thursday evening, after crashing a 1995 Toyota SUV while driving southbound on the rural, two-lane roadway situated west of I-5.

CHP previously explained Wacker was attempting to negotiate a curve when his SUV left the paved road and smashed into a tree. Critically injured, Wacker was left trapped inside the mangled wreckage of the SUV and firefighters had to use the “Jaws of Life” to cut the young victim from the destroyed vehicle.

After being extricated from the SUV, Wacker was rushed to Mercy Medical Center in Redding where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to CHP.

Although it was not immediately known how fast Wacker was traveling when he lost control of the SUV, the posted speed limit in the area is 35 mph.

The morning after his death, a vigil – now turned memorial, set up in front of the tree Wacker struck included flowers and well wishes, as well as clothing and other memorabilia from West Valley High; where the teen played on the school’s varsity football team and was also a stand-out member of the school’s wrestling team.

Wacker’s most recent and final post to hudl.com, a social media site where student athlete’s can post videos of their sporting events and highlights, was shared Oct. 13, just days before his fatal crash.

In what turned out to be his last highlight reel, the defensive end can be seen making one spectacular play after another against Yreka High School, as he repeatedly sacks the school’s quarterback and tackles other players. WVHS went on to win the game, 48-6.

In the days following the deadly crash family members, friends, and fellow WVHS students, have been seen stopping by and visiting the memorial; including a teenage girl and her mother, who were among many others who have been spotted visiting the scene of the accident.

“This never should have happened, not to Tyson,” the teen, who said she was a WVHS freshman but whose mother asked for her daughter to not be identified by name, told an SCNS reporter through tears of anguish the morning after her fellow classmate’s death.

“Life can just be so cruel and unfair,” the girl sobbed, as her mother led her back to the family’s car and slowly drove away from the scene.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 14 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.

tagged with , , , , ,