Callahan & Blaine

An investigation is underway after a special education student tragically died of injuries he suffered in a golf cart crash on his high school campus, the school said Wednesday.

According to the Orange Police Department, the El Modena High School student, identified by family as 15-year-old Manny Perez, suffered the fatal accident when he crashed in a golf cart on campus about 10 a.m. Monday. The teen was then transported to a local hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead.

Orange Unified School District confirmed the student “was involved in a crash of a district golf cart on campus.”

Manny’s god-family and close friends say their lives will never be the same.

“What we want to know is the truth. They’ve been telling us different stories,” Jajaira Larios, Manny’s friend, said.

They also say they don’t believe it was an accident.

“They want to hide everything like if it’s something normal,” Cristina Sanchez, the victim’s god-sister, said.

Sanchez said Manny went to school as usual Monday, and then his mother received a call that the 15-year-old was in a golf cart crash on campus.

His close friends also allege the cart had the key in it, and wonder why any student would have access to it.

Students created a large sign to honor Manny on campus.

“It’s not fair for the mother because no one is ever going to cure her pain,” Sanchez said.

Students planned a peaceful protest on campus at 6 p.m. Wednesday wearing “Justice for Manny” shirts.

“No other students were involved in the accident,” according to the district. “We were devastated to learn that he died from those injuries in the hospital. A letter was sent to families of El Modena High School alerting them to this heartbreaking incident. We take student safety very seriously and maintain appropriate supervision when students are on campus. At the time of the incident, the student was supervised by a one-to-one aide who attempted to stop him from operating the golf cart. We are cooperating with law enforcement to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the accident.”

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.