Richard Lavelle was arrested Dec. 6 after failing to stop at a stop sign and fatally hitting 12-year-old bicyclist, Noel Bascon.
First responders arrived at approximately 6 p.m. to the scene of the fatal traffic collision involving Bascon on his bike and Lavelle in a rented, moving truck at the intersection of Junipero Drive and Arlington Drive. Noel Bascon, was riding his bicycle with his father, who was on his own bicycle, when they entered the crosswalk. The driver in the pick-up truck, traveling east on Arlington Drive, failed to stop at the stop sign and struck the victim, throwing him several feet.
As officers arrived, a passerby was administering CPR to the victim. The officers continued CPR and administered an AED until the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue medics arrived. BVascon was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was tragically pronounced dead.
Lavelle (59) and his passenger Lee Anna Diaz Murphy (56), remained at the scene. Lavelle, a Long Beach resident, was arrested and booked on murder, driving under the influence, and a parole violation. Murphy was arrested and booked on possession of a controlled substance and possession of unlawful paraphernalia.
An investigation into the fatal bicycle crash is currently underway.
Accidents like these often leave victims with the right to pursue a claim. As one of the leading catastrophic personal injury law firms in California, Callahan & Blaine has obtained numerous record-breaking verdicts and settlements in cases like this, helping bring some small justice to the aggrieved family. If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury or died as the result of an accident, contact the best personal injury attorneys in Orange County for expert legal counsel. Contact Callahan & Blaine if you believe you have a right to seek justice at (888) 894-1703.
