TEEN KILLED IN ALPINE COLLISION

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East County News Service

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

December 12, 2017 (Alpine) – Alpine resident William Burton, 17, died at the scene of an accident that occurred last night at 8:25 p.m. on South Grade Road east of Via Viejas Oeste in Alpine. 

A senior at Granite Hills High School and tight end on the school's football team, he was on his way home from a team banquet when the tragedy occurred, KNSD reports.

According to Officer Travis Garrow with the California Highway Patrol, the victim was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from a Jeep Wrangler in which he was a passenger in the backseat.  The Jeep, driven by an 18-year-old from Crest, drifted off the side of the road; the driver overcorrected and went over the center line, into the path of a Lexus.

The Lexus broadsided the left side of the Jeep, causing the 17-year-old to be ejected onto the roadway, where he succumbed to his injuries.  The Jeep driver and a front seat passenger, a 17-year-old from Alpine who was wearing a seatbelt, sustained minor to moderate injuries and were taken by ambulance to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego. 

The driver of the Lexus, 41, and his 13-year-old passenger sustained minor injuries and were not transported to a hospital for any treatment.

Alcohol and or drugs are not suspected to be a factor in this collision at this time.

Burton, a star player, had been named to the CIF All-San Diego first defense team. 

Mikel Oliver, a football player from rival Steele Canyon High, tweeted that "last night heaven gained an angel," also expressing his "prayers go out to the entire Burton family."  Oliver added that Steele Canyon's state Division 3-A championship game this Saturday will be played in Burton's honor.


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