Marie Elizabeth Johnson, 16-Year-Old Irvine High School Student, Dies in Santiago Canyon Car Crash

Another one of my son's friends. He'd been going to school with the girl, Marie Elizabeth "Lizzie" Johnson, since 8th grade.

Last time, in the Newport Beach crash in May, the driver was going at least 100mph and hit a tree on the center divider. This time two Honda Civics were driving out on Santiago Canyon Road, a winding two-lane highway in the O.C. back country. This was at 1:45am on a Monday morning! One of the drivers slammed on his brakes after seeing a deer and the second driver slammed his brakes and lost control of the vehicle. Lizzie wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car on impact. The driver, 19-year-old Antonio Escamilla, was arrested for driving under the influence.

At KTLA, "16-Year-Old Killed in Silverado Crash; 6 Others Injured."

My wife forwarded me the email sent by my son's principal, and the IUSD has published it, "Superintendent issues statement after car crash claims the life of an Irvine High student":

Today, we mourn the loss of Marie Elizabeth Johnson, an Irvine High School student whose life was cut tragically short as the result of a car accident along Santiago Canyon Road. Lizzie, as she was known to friends, would have begun her junior year on Tuesday. At 16 years old, her life was just beginning, and now we are left to grieve and cope with a loss that is difficult to comprehend.

To assist our students and staff, the Irvine Unified School District will dispatch additional counseling support to Irvine High for as long as there is a need. These professionals, including counselors, guidance assistants and psychologists, will specifically reach out to friends and classmates, but they will also be available to anyone who may need extra support. Additionally, Irvine High will open up a space for students who wish to speak with a counselor or share their feelings in writing.

Above all, at this difficult hour, our thoughts and prayers are with Lizzie’s family, friends and loved ones.

Needless to say I'm pretty upset with this. But talking to my son he said he wasn't surprised because he knows a lot of kids at his school who are running on the wrong side of the law, drinking and doing other things. My son's a good kid, thank goodness. He keeps safe. Plus, we keep good tabs on him and his friends, and I'm almost always warning him about doing drugs or drinking alcohol. He's a licensed driver now. You can't be too careful.

I'll say a prayer for the family when I bed down for the night.