Fund-Raiser Honors Memory of Newport Teen Killed in Crash

HUNTINGTON BEACH —  Family and friends of Donny Bridgman, the Newport Beach teenager killed in a car crash last spring that left two other teens with permanent injuries, gathered for a fund-raiser Sunday at the Huntington Beach Surf Museum.

The goal was to raise money for the Donny Bridgman Scholarship Fund and Drive SAFE, an awareness program founded shortly after the teen’s death.

Though Sunday’s rain kept the crowd small, several dozen people turned out to hear surf-style bands--including well-known musician Dick Dale--and to show support for the Bridgman family. The event, where raffle tickets were sold for an assortment of donated prizes, raised $1,000. Organizers said the proceeds will be divided evenly between the scholarship fund and awareness program.

The fund-raiser was the first in a series of events that organizers and the Bridgman family said they hope will raise awareness among teenagers about the risks of careless driving.

“If there is anything positive about this situation, it is that hopefully other teens will learn from it,” said Vickie Bridgman, Donny’s mother. “There can never be enough reminders for teens. This cannot stop the pain in my family, but hopefully Donny can be a symbol for other people.”

Bridgman and nine other teens were packed into the Bridgman family’s Chevy Blazer on May 23 when the car skidded and flipped over, throwing all but two of the teens onto the pavement. Bridgman died at the scene.

Amanda Arthur and Daniel Townsend suffered brain injuries, and the others had lacerations and broken bones.

The driver, who authorities said had not been drinking, was 18-year-old Jason Rausch. He is now facing charges of vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving.

Police said high speed and reckless driving caused the crash. The speed limit on Irvine Avenue, where the accident occurred, is 35 mph. Authorities said Rausch was driving at least 56 mph.

But attorneys representing Rausch say that the youth was not driving as fast as authorities allege, and that the winding road is known to be dangerous.

Several families, including the Bridgmans, have filed lawsuits against the city of Newport Beach alleging that the road where the accident occurred is unsafe.

Sunday’s event was more a celebration of life than a reminder of the tragedy. With surf music playing loudly in the background, those attending browsed through a collection of surf memorabilia as they munched tortilla chips and chatted.

Still, organizers such as David Hall, who founded the Drive SAFE program with his wife, Sabrina, said they hoped the day’s activities focused attention on safe driving.

David Hall said teenagers and their families are the target audience for Drive SAFE, a nonprofit awareness program. Volunteers are planning assemblies and discussions at high schools in which teens can hear first-person accounts of the tragic results of careless driving.

“This is a grass-root effort born out of frustration,” he said. “We hope we will be making a difference.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for people 15 to 20 years old.

Danielle Bridgman, Danny’s 17-year-old sister, has spoken at her high school about the crash that killed her brother. She is scheduled to speak in January at an event being organized in Fullerton by Drive SAFE.

Her brother’s death will not have been in vain if awareness of the issue can prevent other tragedies, she said Sunday.

“I tell people that they need to think about what they are doing,” said Danielle, a senior at Orange Lutheran High School. “This happens too often for people not to think it can happen to them.”