Costa Mesa High loses a talented graduate

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- Luther Mitchell was special.

Not because the 19-year-old, 5-foot-8, 300-pound Costa Mesa High

School graduate was a star football player.

Mitchell is remembered by many because he had a big heart and always

extended a helping hand to anybody who needed it.

The teenager tragically died in a traffic accident Sunday morning when

the Chevy Suburban he was driving spun out of control and hit a

cinder-block wall on South Coast Drive.

A makeshift shrine with posters, pictures and candles stands at the

site of the crash.

Valerie Johnson, Mitchell’s teacher at Whittier Elementary School,

said she “cried for two days straight” when she heard the sad news.

“He was one of those students you never forget,” she said. “I’ve known

him since first grade. As a little kid, he had a smile that would light

up the world. He was very outgoing and unusually special.”

Johnson said Mitchell was also a good friend of her daughter’s and

often took fishing trips with her stepson.

Mitchell was also a talented football player, said Jerry Howell,

former Costa Mesa High football coach.

“I’ve known him since he was in seventh grade,” he said. “Luther had a

good sense of humor. He was a friendly and outgoing kid and was very

talented.”

Howell said Mitchell, who graduated from Costa Mesa High last year,

had several friends because of his good nature.

“He was a good kid who had a good heart,” he said. “He was easy going

and easy to talk to.”

Visitation hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday at Brown Mortuary, 204 W.

17th St., Santa Ana. A funeral service is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Saturday at 1915 McFadden St., Santa Ana.