La Mirada teen's death accidental, coroner says

Samantha aka Frenchie was a wonderful girl full of life sharing her happiness with all. She was my sons friend our family feels blessed to have had the privilege of knowing her for this short time. This was no accident I'm sorry since Friday I have driven that route maybe 50 times and there is no way she was not seen, unless the driver was not paying attention. It brings back some ugly reminders of santa monica and I for one will stand behind anyone who says the out of towner needent be driving. I feel nothing for this person because she lived a good long life and will continue but he life of this baby girl, barely 16 FRENCIE doesn't get to even get her feet wet! Hopefully La Mirada will finally see that a pedestrian bridge should have been constructed many years ago so that Samantha could have had the opportunities that the N Hollywood driver had. Please n e one reading this don't let this girl die in vain grasp on to life as she did, keep uh friends and family close and take that extra step to see things thru and when u can't do it for yourself do it for Frenchie, God Bless the Sandoval Family our prayers are with you ! Anthony Childers Mom

My condolences to the Sandoval family for the loss of their precious daughter. I pray for god to give you the strength and comfort during this difficult time. I also pray for the lady and her family, I am sure she is also having a difficult time as well.

The previous commenter seems to be putting a lot of weight into the notion that the DRIVER was at fault. What is the rationale? Because they were not from La Mirada, or they were older than the median age? These are not compelling reasons to conclude guilt for the driver.
I see lots of reason to be feeling sad for the driver. After all, they are required to live with the fact that someone ended their young life by impact with their car. Trust me, it’s not something you shake-off even if you’re completely innocent.
This story is lean on information, although some key facts are there if you read between the lines:
Imperial Hwy is 6 (SIX !!) lanes there, and there is NO crosswalk at Burgess (Though there are crosswalks at BOTH major intersections nearby ... a few hundred feet away).
Imperial Hwy: It is indeed a highway. At 6:38 PM it would have been rather dark, and likely to be rather busy in spurts on a Friday.
The deceased was aged 16, and was already attending a third high school. Was this a troubled kid? The story doesn’t explain why explicitly, though it does mention her other schools (is this offered as a hint?). And why was she attending a continuation after only a couple weeks into a school year (another hint)? The previous commenter would probably have some helpful insights regarding how the driver was to blame for these sad facts as well.
Based on this bit of sketchy information, I would not be putting much weight on the driver being at fault .... unless the victim was hit on the sidewalk. The story doesn’t say she was hit on the sidewalk ....

I know a friend with the last name sandoval.I wonder if that was her older sister.

it just wasnt an accident....

it wasnt an accident wrote:

it just wasnt an accident....

So you think the driver INTENTIONALLY hit this girl? You think she was MURDERED? Do you think the Coroner should have listed HOMICIDE as the cause of death?

I can only imagine losing somebody so young to such a tragedy. It must be one of the most terrible experiences a person can endure.

Nevertheless, that does not make it okay for you to publicly blame the driver without any basis in fact. Admittedly, the newspaper story is weak on details ... but the details that are provided all point to the notion that Samantha made a grave error by crossing directly into the path of an oncoming car. Based on the facts presented in this series of stories, the notion that the driver is not from La Mirada or that she is elderly has little or nothing to do with this tragedy. It's plainly foolish to cross a six-lane state highway at any time, but certainly at dusk during rush hour. There is no indication that the driver was impaired, speeding, or otherwise violating traffic laws.

It's certainly easier to blame the driver, the city, Caltrans, or anybody else than it is to accept that your friend made a foolish decision. Unfortunately, however, your anger will not change the facts of this case. Please don't dishonor her memory by preaching hatred towards the elderly. Instead, please take this opportunity to teach other young people about the potential consequences of risky behavior. What greater tragedy would there be than to lose this young lady AND someone else to a similar fate?

sharon mendoza wrote:

Samantha aka Frenchie was a wonderful girl full of life sharing her happiness with all. She was my sons friend our family feels blessed to have had the privilege of knowing her for this short time. This was no accident I'm sorry since Friday I have driven that route maybe 50 times and there is no way she was not seen, unless the driver was not paying attention. It brings back some ugly reminders of santa monica and I for one will stand behind anyone who says the out of towner needent be driving. I feel nothing for this person because she lived a good long life and will continue but he life of this baby girl, barely 16 FRENCIE doesn't get to even get her feet wet! Hopefully La Mirada will finally see that a pedestrian bridge should have been constructed many years ago so that Samantha could have had the opportunities that the N Hollywood driver had. Please n **** one reading this don't let this girl die in vain grasp on to life as she did, keep uh friends and family close and take that extra step to see things thru and when u can't do it for yourself do it for Frenchie, God Bless the Sandoval Family our prayers are with you ! Anthony Childers Mom

Missing Information wrote:

The previous commenter seems to be putting a lot of weight into the notion that the DRIVER was at fault. What is the rationale? Because they were not from La Mirada, or they were older than the median age? These are not compelling reasons to conclude guilt for the driver.
I see lots of reason to be feeling sad for the driver. After all, they are required to live with the fact that someone ended their young life by impact with their car. Trust me, it’s not something you shake-off even if you’re completely innocent.
This story is lean on information, although some key facts are there if you read between the lines:
Imperial Hwy is 6 (SIX !!) lanes there, and there is NO crosswalk at Burgess (Though there are crosswalks at BOTH major intersections nearby ... a few hundred feet away).
Imperial Hwy: It is indeed a highway. At 6:38 PM it would have been rather dark, and likely to be rather busy in spurts on a Friday.
The deceased was aged 16, and was already attending a third high school. Was this a troubled kid? The story doesn’t explain why explicitly, though it does mention her other schools (is this offered as a hint?). And why was she attending a continuation after only a couple weeks into a school year (another hint)? The previous commenter would probably have some helpful insights regarding how the driver was to blame for these sad facts as well.
Based on this bit of sketchy information, I would not be putting much weight on the driver being at fault .... unless the victim was hit on the sidewalk. The story doesn’t say she was hit on the sidewalk ....

I agree and would like to add: the driver was traveling west and the young lady was running from the south. Therefore she already recklessly ran across the eastbound traffic. Also, witnesses described her as very upset and crying as she left gardenhill park. Whether it was an accident or suicide, these facts show that the cause was more correlated with the emotional state of the girl, NOT the driver.

Missing Information,post # 3.You kind of had the same thoughts/questions regarding the article.There isn`t enough information to this article.We don`t know whether the {student?}could have been on her cellphone either talking or textting while crossing such a busy intersection.Or that the driver was doing the same.And by the information given in the article,it is plain to read between the lines.This child was troubled already.God just handled the problem himself.So now that Samantha is in his hands we send her peace and blessings.And for the driver God help you if this was not an accident.

Need more information on this incident.
Was the sun in the drivers eyes.
Texting.
On the phone.

Was the victim jaywalking or in a marked crosswalk.
How can it just be an accident?

This is a sad situation that has happened, but what I think is even worse is that everyone seems to want to blame the driver. How can this be the drivers fault?!? I live near by the accident and I heard when the girl got hit! At the time of the accident it was already dark and being that I have 20/20 vision myself and am quite attentive when I am driving, sometimes it is hard to see people crossing where they are not suppose to. Even on the very intersection that she got hit in, I myself have had some scares seeing kids cross through that intersection like they're God! It is not a crosswalk and NO ONE should be crossing the street at that intersection! No one is expecting in that area to see someone all of a sudden pop out into the street, so NO it is not the drivers fault! And by the way I know that the girl was not "walking" but running, which can make it both hard to notice all of a sudden and even hard to avoid!

This GIRL was not crossing any intersection, she was running from the other side of the street across four to five lanes, she was not hit by front of drivers car, she ran into front drivers side of car, Driver is heading west, sidewalk is on her right. Girl was running from drivers left, from behind. Drive did not strike girl, girl ran right into driver. It was dark already, 6:38 PM, no sun in drivers eyes. 35 MPH is reasonablle when traffic is busy. Girl was upset, report does not Indicate if girl had anything in her system. By all accounts as horrible as this is, girl made a deadly choice to run into across a very busy street, not in intersection,not in a cross walk, she was running away from something or someone. This poor driver, say your prayers for her as well. NOT all older people are fible, they have lived and learned from time. Ask the hard questions, What was this young girl THINKING, Not being safe for sure. She is in Gods hands, Now this poor woman must go through this HELL, that this young girl pulled her into. We all teach our children, cross where it is safe, don't walk in front of cars, then they hit teens, they get into trouble, they make choices that hurt them, all ariticles indicate girl has had troubles, mulitple schools, you don't change SCHOOLS JUST FOR THE FUN IT, BUT becasue she is a minor, no one will ever know what troubles this girl was in. Kids today don't DON"T THINK, and they think they can steal life from GOD, then they get caught, and then their parents must burry them. This is a horrible accident that could have happened to ANYONE, COULD HAVE BE YOU, could have been me, Being from another city has nother do do with it, the authories have cleared this poor driver, now it's time for all those pointing fingers to the OLD LADY, to stop and realize she is a person as well, not a monster, driving following the RULES, and some young teenage doesn't think the RULES applied to them. Yes RIP young one, and may God be with you Older one, your the one left to deal with your pain, that some teenage pulled you into. All parents remind your children, life is short, life does stop and to live life, BUT BE SAFE.
worried
Los Angeles, CA

Sad, yes it was for the driver, she did nothing wrong, this young girl made a deadly choice to run across a very busy street. Into driver. This could have happened to any driver, Very sad for driver

it wasnt an accident wrote:

it just wasnt an accident....

Samantha it's impossible to believe something like this happened to you. i knew you since 4th grade and it hurts to know your not with us anymore:(. i hope your in a better place now. we love you

None Of u r GOD! U Do Not Know What Happend! JUDGEMENT WILL BE DONE FOR ALL THOSE WHO PUT SAMANTHA'S NAME IN VEIN!(TO: MISSING INFORMATION) THIS HAS NOTHING 2 DO WITH HER PAST, HER SCHOOLS OR FAMILY! PLEASE MIND UR OWN BUSINESS AND STOP JUDGING THE DECEICED!(TO: VERA) WHO REALLY CARES IF U AGREE? WERE U THERE? DID U KNOW ANY OF THEM? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD TODAY? REALLY!(NEIGHBOR) NO ONE CARES OF UR 20/20 VISION IN THE DARK! AND DID SHE SAY SHE WAS GOD? THIS IS ABOUT A YOUNG GIRL THAT PASSED IN AN ACCIDENT! PLEASE LEAVE HER NAME ALONE AND STOP JUDGING!(TO: WORRIED)SHE RAN INTO THE DRIVER? COME ON NOW, AND UR NOT THINKING BECAUSE GOD IS LOOKING DOWN AT ALL OF U AND THIS WHOLE SITUATION! AND IF U KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT U WOULD NOT MESS WITH HIM! U ARE TRYING TO TRASH HER NAME OVER SWITCHING HIGH SCHOOL, DO U HAVE A LIFE? HAVE U EVER MADE MISTAKES? GROW UP REALLY LIKE I SAID U R NOT GOD! AND YEAH (TO:WORRIED) IT COULD BE U OR UR OWN CHILDREN!
I DON'T THINK UR SO WORRIED ABOUT SAMANTHA OR HER FAMILY, I THINK UR WORRIED ABOUT THE DRIVER ONLY! U MUST BE KIN! NO ONE CALLED HER A MONSTER U DID! SAMANTHA IS NEITHER THE MONSTER SO LEAVE HER NAME ALONE!

NO, kin, just old, and monster was nice compaired to some of the four letter words this poor driver was called. I do feel for the young girl I said that, I'm upset becasue comments were so harsh about driver all becasue she is older and from out another city. Someone needs to be on her side.

Yes, God watches over us.

None wrote:

None Of u r GOD! U Do Not Know What Happend! JUDGEMENT WILL BE DONE FOR ALL THOSE WHO PUT SAMANTHA'S NAME IN VEIN!(TO: MISSING INFORMATION) THIS HAS NOTHING 2 DO WITH HER PAST, HER SCHOOLS OR FAMILY! PLEASE MIND UR OWN BUSINESS AND STOP JUDGING THE DECEICED!(TO: VERA) WHO REALLY CARES IF U AGREE? WERE U THERE? DID U KNOW ANY OF THEM? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD TODAY? REALLY!(NEIGHBOR) NO ONE CARES OF UR 20/20 VISION IN THE DARK! AND DID SHE SAY SHE WAS GOD? THIS IS ABOUT A YOUNG GIRL THAT PASSED IN AN ACCIDENT! PLEASE LEAVE HER NAME ALONE AND STOP JUDGING!(TO: WORRIED)SHE RAN INTO THE DRIVER? COME ON NOW, AND UR NOT THINKING BECAUSE GOD IS LOOKING DOWN AT ALL OF U AND THIS WHOLE SITUATION! AND IF U KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT U WOULD NOT MESS WITH HIM! U ARE TRYING TO TRASH HER NAME OVER SWITCHING HIGH SCHOOL, DO U HAVE A LIFE? HAVE U EVER MADE MISTAKES? GROW UP REALLY LIKE I SAID U R NOT GOD! AND YEAH (TO:WORRIED) IT COULD BE U OR UR OWN CHILDREN!
I DON'T THINK UR SO WORRIED ABOUT SAMANTHA OR HER FAMILY, I THINK UR WORRIED ABOUT THE DRIVER ONLY! U MUST BE KIN! NO ONE CALLED HER A MONSTER U DID! SAMANTHA IS NEITHER THE MONSTER SO LEAVE HER NAME ALONE!

This was a Child! Somebody's Child, Somebody's Sibling, Somebody's Friend. What if this happened to your Family. Rest in Peace Sam.

Try writing in English, please ...

None wrote:

None Of u **** GOD! U Do Not Know What Happend! JUDGEMENT WILL BE DONE FOR ALL THOSE WHO PUT SAMANTHA'S NAME IN VEIN!(TO: MISSING INFORMATION) THIS HAS NOTHING 2 DO WITH HER PAST, HER SCHOOLS OR FAMILY! PLEASE MIND UR OWN BUSINESS AND STOP JUDGING THE DECEICED!(TO: VERA) WHO REALLY CARES IF U AGREE? WERE U THERE? DID U KNOW ANY OF THEM? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD TODAY? REALLY!(NEIGHBOR) NO ONE CARES OF UR 20/20 VISION IN THE DARK! AND DID SHE SAY SHE WAS GOD? THIS IS ABOUT A YOUNG GIRL THAT PASSED IN AN ACCIDENT! PLEASE LEAVE HER NAME ALONE AND STOP JUDGING!(TO: WORRIED)SHE RAN INTO THE DRIVER? COME ON NOW, AND UR NOT THINKING BECAUSE GOD IS LOOKING DOWN AT ALL OF U AND THIS WHOLE SITUATION! AND IF U KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT U WOULD NOT MESS WITH HIM! U ARE TRYING TO TRASH HER NAME OVER SWITCHING HIGH SCHOOL, DO U HAVE A LIFE? HAVE U EVER MADE MISTAKES? GROW UP REALLY LIKE I SAID U **** NOT GOD! AND YEAH (TO:WORRIED) IT COULD BE U OR UR OWN CHILDREN!
I DON'T THINK UR SO WORRIED ABOUT SAMANTHA OR HER FAMILY, I THINK UR WORRIED ABOUT THE DRIVER ONLY! U MUST BE KIN! NO ONE CALLED HER A MONSTER U DID! SAMANTHA IS NEITHER THE MONSTER SO LEAVE HER NAME ALONE!