Carmel Valley community distraught over fatal teen crash

The crash in the early morning hours of Oct. 4 that killed 17-year-old Alex Capozza, a Torrey Pines High School student, seriously injured another, and sent the driver to Juvenile Hall to face felony charges, sent shock waves through Carmel Valley and neighboring communities. And the aftershocks one month later are still registering.

“Everyone is devastated and saddened,” said Frisco White, chair of the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board. “Even if you didn’t know them, you know someone else who knew them. And it’s touched all of the kids to some degree.”

At PTA and site council meetings, school principal coffees, online discussion forums, lunches, workouts and even in grocery lines, people continue to discuss the tragedy — wondering how it could happen, wanting easy answers to difficult questions, and worrying for themselves and their children.

The accident has pierced the community for a number of reasons, said Dr. Lori Rappaport, Carmel Valley psychologist and parent of teenagers. “It’s close to home, it’s seniors, it’s kids in high school driving. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare,” she said.

Part of it, said Rick Schmitt, associate superintendent of the San Dieguito Union High School District, is that there is more media attention to everything in general.

“The other thing is that just because it happened to be in Rancho Santa Fe, in my opinion, more people are talking about it,” Schmitt said. “There are really cases up and down the county on a regular basis where high school kids die because they made really bad choices - drugs, alcohol, gangs. And it doesn’t get this play.”

An academic powerhouse, Torrey Pines High School, with about 2,600 students, sits in the center of one of the more affluent areas of San Diego County, in the heart of Carmel Valley, with Del Mar to the west, Rancho Santa Fe to the east and Solana Beach to the north.

There has been an undeniable fascination with the case throughout the county — with a great deal of interest focused on the future of the 17-year-old TPHS senior who is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The tenor in online discussions is decidedly opposed to leniency for the driver who awaits his next hearing on Nov. 10, when Judge George Clarke will decide whether the minor is suitable for what’s called a “deferred entry of judgment.” (DEOJ)

If granted, this would allow the boy to be released to his family and return to school, in exchange for meeting strict conditions for behavior for one to three years. After that time, the felony charges would be wiped from his record.

A number of people have criticized the DEOJ request by the defense, believing money provided special privilege.

“He needs to be punished for what he did. If he were in a different city and not TP, it would be a totally different conviction,” read one online comment.

“The color of justice seems to be green,” read another.

But Aimee McLeod, San Diego County deputy district attorney, said money is irrelevant in this type of plea. She said if a juvenile meets all the conditions set forth under the law, then he or she is eligible for a deferred entry of judgment.

“It has nothing to do with a high-priced attorney,” said McLeod, who works with juveniles and is prosecuting the case. “Deferred entry of judgment applications occur in our courthouse every single day, across the board, across socioeconomic [levels] and ability of lawyers.”

Local reaction
Locally, reaction has been mixed on the issue of the driver’s punishment.

“He killed a friend and actually could have killed all of them including himself,” said Carmel Valley resident Carol Ratchuk. “Should he be allowed back into his family’s custody, allowed the privilege of finishing high school and going off to college? I don’t think so. Finish high school, yes, with mandatory daily drug/alcohol testing. But to go on to college like nothing has happened, I don’t think so.”

Scott Tillson, a member of the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board, Carmel Valley resident since 1992 and parent of three teens, said, “He should be punished. With all the materials, discussions, PSAs, classes and reminders about the dangers of alcohol and driving, his youth doesn’t excuse him from the consequences of his actions.”

Other adults were harsher in their assessment of the situation, believing the driver should face even stiffer penalties.

A Carmel Valley parent who asked not to be identified posted a message in several on-line forums to encourage people to write letters to the judge opposing the minor’s release. She supports jail time “for the grave offense of DUI and vehicular manslaughter. We need to protect our roads and deter reckless driving and DUI.”

Many agree with the position of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, that serving time in jail acts as an effective deterrent, punishes the offender, keeps roads safer, and ultimately changes accepted yet deadly social behavior.

Paula Myers, MADD’s Victim Services director and law enforcement liaison, said she’s heard from a number of Carmel Valley residents and law enforcement officials who oppose light sentencing.

“The deferred entry of judgment is not going over real well,” Myers said. “Most people recognize, whether they are right or wrong, [that it's] a slap on the wrist, that the driver is not getting any punishment at all. And that’s what people are outraged at, that he took a life and the punishment is not fitting the crime.”

Myers, who has been with MADD for more than 20 years, said almost everyone realizes that drinking and driving is dangerous.

“That’s pretty much common sense these days,” she said. “It’s hard to imagine that this young man did not know that he was combining two dangerous actions. There should be some accountability that would include custody time.”

MADD has been criticized by some for being what one person called “a neo-prohibitionist” group that focuses primarily on drinking and not enough on the driving half of the equation.

“We focus on the drinking because … we’re not going to send a mixed message to teens,” Myers said. “They’re not supposed to be drinking until they’re 21. So we don’t bring the driving into it, because that’s not even an issue.

“We want them to know their bodies haven’t even finished maturing and growing, and to add alcohol to it is just disaster,” she added. “So we’re not going to say, ‘Hey teens, don’t drink and drive.’ We’re saying, ‘Hey teens, don’t drink.’”

Impact at Torrey Pines
In an extended conversation with Torrey Pines students last week, kids said drinking is rampant and partying occurs nearly every weekend. Yet the grief and trauma over the death of Capozza, and the uncertain future of another who’s facing felony charges, has significantly changed attitudes on drunk driving, they said.

“This could have happened to any of us” and “This was a huge wake-up call” were viewpoints commonly repeated by students after the crash.

“I think they will cut back on drinking and driving,” said one senior. “But I’m not sure they will cut back on drinking.”

“At this age, a lot of people think they’re invincible,” said another.

The students, who were thoughtful and clearly disturbed by the accident, generally do not support harsh sentencing for the driver, for whom they expressed enormous sympathy.

“I’d say the vast majority of kids think he should get the lightest sentence,” said a third student.

Many — although not all — teachers agree.

“Many of us feel sick for him,” said TPHS teacher Mia Smith, near tears. “We know life will never be the same for him. A lot of us are parents so we’re looking at it from that standpoint too. It’s so tragic. Of course, the death [of Alex] is horrible. And [the driver] … I can’t get it off my mind.”

At Canyon Crest Academy, another San Dieguito high school located just east of Carmel Valley, Elloise Allen, an assistant principal, said teachers and administrators are struggling with the tragedy.

“It’s a topic that right now is on everybody’s mind,” she said. “It was a huge shock, and I’m still processing it. We were all really affected by this.”

See related: Torrey Pines teen driver of fatal rollover to reappear in court

Red Ribbon Week
This week at Torrey Pines is Red Ribbon Week, a national drug prevention campaign that focuses on the dangers of alcohol and drugs. The week-long program, which includes a presentation by MADD, was coincidentally scheduled before the tragedy. Wednesday marks the one-month anniversary of the crash.

Red Ribbon Week, held annually at San Dieguito schools, will be different this year, said TPHS principal Brett Killeen. The theme this year, he said, is “Remember” — to honor the life of Alex Capozza.

Although many students “have made a commitment to get back into as much normalcy as they can,” others are struggling, Killeen said. “Some are exhibiting elements of grief they didn’t initially experience. Some are getting outside help. This kind of thing affects people differently.”

Calling the accident a “tragic, sad loss,” Killeen said of the five boys in the car, “None of these kids were bad kids.”

Killeen said it was frustrating to hear about kids not wearing seat belts.

“Even when they’re making questionable choices in other areas, most still automatically fasten their seat belts in cars,” he said.

Killeen and other administrators said they hoped this tragedy would change behavior in lasting ways. But many were doubtful.

“It gets people’s attention for short periods of time,” Schmitt said. “But generations of teenagers and generations of parents turn over really quickly. And human beings are pretty good about forgetting. It’s going to happen again … somewhere.”

“For many kids it’s not necessarily going to impact their behavior — they don’t see that connection,” said Rappaport, who, through her volunteer efforts at the Jenna Druck Foundation, works closely with schools to support students and school administrators during times of loss and grief.

“We hope that a tragedy has a meaning in a positive way by preventing others from experiencing the same pain and the same hurt,” Canyon Crest’s Allen said. “Will it really? I’m not sure. That’s the hard piece.”

At Canyon Crest, where alcohol and drug use mirrors the levels at Torrey Pines, Allen worries about a spike in alcohol abuse as a result of the tragedy.

“As they’re dealing with the grief of losing a friend in a situation connected to drinking, some of them will turn to drinking to deal with the grief,” she said. “They are trying to deal with emotions that even we as adults struggle to deal with.”

Citing the district’s Recovery Education and Alcohol/Drug Instruction (READI) program, Allen applauded the school district’s efforts to educate kids about the dangers of alcohol and drug use.

Before READI, the district saw many repeat offenders, but now they don’t, she said.

“READI gives kids some tools about how to change their approach, how to change their behavior, how to change their coping skills,” said Allen.

Parents fearful
Although there are adults who oppose leniency for the driver, others agree with the TPHS students and feel he needs no further punishment.

“I’m not going to be one of the people crying for retribution against the driver,” said Kathryn Burton, Carmel Valley resident and member of the Torrey Hills Community Planning Board. “He will suffer the rest of his life knowing that his adolescent mistake killed his friend. The whole thing is a tragedy.”

It leaves parents in a tough position — do they show compassion for someone much like their own child(ren), who showed a moment of tremendously bad judgment? Or do they emphasize the magnitude of the crime that has been committed, in which a teenager, much like their own child(ren), lost his life?

“It’s very difficult because as a parent you want to be compassionate, but at the same time it is a crime, but the crime was not intended,” Frisco White said. “It’s hard to know where to place the blame.”

White said the driver is still a child and deserves some measure of sympathy.

“He’s going to be scarred the rest of his life, and that’s prison enough and that’s justice enough,” he said.

For many parents of teenagers, the accident has also generated deep anxiety.

“It’s something that happened that hit close to home for a lot of people,” Rappaport said. [Parents] can understand. They can see how that can happen.”

White said that he has told his driving teen, “you need to be careful, you need to make judgments, and some of the judgments you make are going to impact you for the rest of your life.”

“Parents are afraid,” Schmitt said. “That comes out in different ways. Sometimes what they say is accusatory, strong and unfriendly. It’s because they are afraid. Even parents who feel their kids are in a pretty good place, it doesn’t mean they’re not going to make a bad choice at some point. Kids make bad choices occasionally.”

Schmitt said many parents he’s spoken with are sad, fearful and casting about for someone to blame.

“Many parents are feeling a loss of control,” Rappaport said. “We’re talking about kids who don’t have much experience, who feel omnipotent, who are impulsive.”

There’s an opportunity for improved dialog between parents and students whenever tragedy strikes, Rappaport said, but she warned parents not to lecture or raise political issues.

“People need to take into account that it’s a 17-year-old kid, and yes, there is a responsibility, but I think compassion is also important,” Rappaport said. “For this young man, not only is his life story going to include ‘I lost one of my closest friends’ but also ‘I was the one who caused the loss.’ That is a very difficult thing to live with. Most adults couldn’t even imagine what that would be like.”

What is your reaction to this tragedy? What is a deserved punishment for the driver?

Marsha Sutton is an SDNN contributor, and can be reached at: SuttComm@san.rr.com, or on Twitter [www.twitter.com/marshasutton]

Tags: Alex Capozza, Carmel Valley Community Planning Board, drinking, driving, DUI, juvenile hall, killed, principal brett killeen, Red Ribbon Week, san dieguito union high school district, SDNN, teens, Torrey Pines High School

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