Please Pray
January 15, 2008
I just got an email from my mother. Her sister’s son - my cousin, Austin, died in a motorcycle accident yesterday. Please be praying for their family.
Motorcyclist killed in crash with Sheriff’s deputy | Riverside County | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
10:00 PM PST on Monday, January 14, 2008
By JESSICA LOGAN
The Press-Enterprise
A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy’s sedan collided Monday with a motorcycle, killing the 19-year-old driver in an unincorporated area of Riverside County.
The motorcycle driver’s mother, Holli Silver, and sister, Amy Silver, cried on the side of the road just yards from where the vehicles collided and where his body still lay, while California Highway Patrol officers examined the crash.
Silver said her brother, Austin Silver, just turned 19 years old and just got the motorcycle.
William Wilson Lewis III / The Press-Enterprise
A sedan driven by a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy collided Tuesday with a motorcyclist on Castellano Road.
The motorcyclist was driving east off a dirt road onto Castellano Road as the deputy was driving south up the hill, said California Highway Patrol Officer George Foard.
The deputy, whose identity was not released, left about 60 feet of skid marks behind him that started on the west side of the street and curved to the center.
The relatively steep hill is lined with houses to the west and a slope to the east.
David Ditolla has lived in one of the houses near the San Bernardino County line for about 17 years. When he heard tires screeching and a crash at about 2:50 p.m., he assumed the crash happened on nearby Rubidoux Boulevard where many crashes have occurred.
"When I came out, I saw the deputy outside the car calling 911 and the (motorcyclist) was lying there, not moving," Ditolla said. The deputy, "was shook up, but he was trying to keep calm. He was doing what he was supposed to."
Ditolla said he didn’t see a helmet on the motorcyclist’s head.
William Wilson Lewis III / The Press-Enterprise
Holli Silver, left, mother of the victim, comforts her daughter Amy Silver as they grieve on the side of the road near the collision that killed Austin Silver, 19.
Foard said he did not know if the deputy was on duty when the crash happened or if the silver Chevrolet the deputy was driving belonged to the deputy or the county. He also did not know how the vehicles crashed.
The motorcyclist lived around the corner from where the crash occurred and his neighbor, Linda Hogarth, hugged his mother as she stood at the side of the road.
"He was a good kid trying to get his life on the right track," Hogarth said.
Silver said her brother just completed a stint with the California Conservation Corps, an organization that improves communities and teaches youth skills. She and her mother were too upset to talk further about the crash.
Edy and Les Alderson, who live beside the dirt road, said they think the county should post speed limits on the dirt road and add a stop sign where it meets Castellano Road to prevent future crashes.
Neighbors said the steep, unpaved roads behind the houses on Castellano Road attract motorcyclists from the neighborhood and beyond.
"They like to climb their motorcycle up the hill," Edy Alderson said. "They like to see if they can climb it."
January 15th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Oh, Jeff, I will certainly be praying. My heart is breaking for them and your whole family. I’m so sorry.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I’m so sorry to hear this. I will definitely be praying.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I will be praying…. I’m so sorry. :-(
January 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I am so sorry-I will be praying for your family.
January 15th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
How extremely sad! I will be praying for your family. :(
January 15th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I am so sorry for your families loss, what a horrible accident. It actually happened very close to where I live.
Blessings, Faith
January 15th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Oh, I’m sorry for your loss…I know words can’t help at this time… Did he know the Lord?
Momma
January 15th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Jeff,
I am so sorry to hear about your cousin, he was so young. I will be praying for your family. I pray that the peace that passes all understanding will be with you all during this time of loss.
Donna
January 16th, 2008 at 6:26 am
I am very sorry to hear about Austin’s death. I will keep your family in prayer.
January 16th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I’m praying for your family.
January 16th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
i wanted to send my love. i grew up with adam and austin. they were my brothers. blood didnt have a thing to do with us being able to consider eachother that. its so hard on everyone. i was at the house all day yesterday. i had to be talked into leaving. i needed rest. but ive been in bed all day. i cant believe it. not austin. i love him so much.
its too hard to take in. ive been watching videos i have of him, and looking at pictures. we all need prayer.
January 16th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I will pray.
January 17th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Adding my bit of condolence and will add your family to my prayers.
Makes me truly stiffen to ever think of my boys on a motorcycle.
January 17th, 2008 at 3:20 am
Dearest Crystal,
I will be looking for you at the funeral, it was a bit of a shock to read your post just now, what a small world we have. Thank you for your love and comfort to Holli (my younger sister), and to Aaron, Adam and Amy.
Heidi Pustelniak
Tucson AZ
January 17th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Thanks Heidi.
i look forward to meeting you. I just wish it could have been under better circumstances. I wanted my boyfriend to meet austin. I was supposed to visit the day he died, but for whatever reason, I didn’t go. even though my boyfriend didnt get to meet Austin, Adam told me that him being with me on tuesday at the house was pretty much being there for austin and thats close enough to meeting him.
I had to be talked into going to work today. it was hard having to explain to people why i wasnt as happy and smiley as usual. but they understood. i wish i could see austin one more time… but that just isnt an option.
my love to everyone. and thanks to everyone for the support ive recieved.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I came here from “Arms Open Wide” following your comment from there. As I was exploring your blog, I read this. Oh this breaks my heart, especially for his mom. I posted a “similar” accident a little while back. I wonder if we should hook up these moms for them to encourage each other…..
http://lizas-eyeview.blogspot.com/2007/12/thoughts-on-life-and-death-this-holiday.html
February 2nd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
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