BREA : High School Athlete Dies in Car Accident

A Brea-Olinda High School junior and varsity football player was killed Wednesday night when his car failed to negotiate a curve on Carbon Canyon Road and landed at the base of a 10-foot embankment, police said.

Brian Arredondo, 17, of Brea had left the home of his girlfriend in the Olinda Village area of the city about 11 p.m. Wednesday night and was heading home when the accident occurred. The coroner’s office and the Brea police are investigating.

“They told us that he was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown from the car,” said Gordon Biccum, the victim’s grandfather. “He was probably killed instantly. There were no witnesses, so we are just guessing what happened.”

Family members reported the youth missing about 5 a.m. Thursday morning. Brea police found the wreckage of Arredondo’s Acura Integra about two hours later.

Arredondo had moved to Brea with his family from Portland, Ore., about 18 months ago, Biccum said.

At Brea-Olinda High School on Thursday, students and teachers mourned the death of Arredondo, who played center and linebacker on the varsity football team this year and was also a member of the track team. School Principal Gerry Goff said psychologists were available throughout the day to talk with students about the death of their classmate.

“He had a lot of friends and supporters,” Goff said. “A number of the students felt they couldn’t stay at school for the rest of the day after hearing the news. It’s been a sad day for us here.” Members of the school’s football team were called out of their classes into another room and told together about their teammate’s death.

“He was really just a great guy,” said teammate Mark Hales, who left school early after hearing the news. “He lived life to the fullest for the short time he had.”--ALLISON SAMUELS