Costa Mesa man killed in accident

Alicia Robinson

A motorcycle accident Wednesday night claimed the life of a

25-year-old former Marine who hoped one day to be a police officer.

Christopher Forest O’Neil was driving his Suzuki motorcycle west

on the Riverside Freeway east of Imperial Highway around 10:33 p.m.

when he lost control of his bike and was thrown onto the road, where

he was struck by three vehicles. The Costa Mesa resident was

pronounced dead at the scene.

California Highway Patrol officials have not determined the cause

of the accident.

Motorcycles were one of O’Neil’s passions, along with surfing,

inline skating and dogs, said his father, Barry O’Neil. Friendly and

outgoing as an adult, Christopher O’Neil was a happy child who never

got into trouble, his father said.

Born at Hoag Hospital in 1978, Christopher O’Neil moved to the

Napa Valley when he was young and remained there with his mother

after his parents divorced. After he turned 18, he returned to Orange

County and joined the Marine Corps, said Barry O’Neil, who also

served in the Marines.

“He graduated from boot camp 30 years to the day that I graduated

from boot camp,” the elder O’Neil said.

Serving in a helicopter unit on an aircraft carrier, Christopher

O’Neil traveled around the world and was deployed in various

countries including Africa and Saudi Arabia.

After he was discharged from the Marines in 2001, Christopher

O’Neil began attending Orange Coast College to work toward a liberal

arts degree. He was considering going into law enforcement, the same

field as his girlfriend, Sarah Bauer, who is a police officer, Barry

O’Neil said.

“He liked people,” Barry O’Neil said. “He was a very

people-oriented person. He would just give you the shirt off his

back.”

Christopher O’Neil is survived by his father and stepmother, Barry

and Ann O’Neil; his mother and stepfather, Barbara and Joe Perry; and

his sister, Pamela Sebastiani.

Visitation will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday with a rosary

at 6 p.m. at Pacific View Mortuary, 3500 Pacific View Drive, Corona

del Mar. Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. John

Vianney Catholic Church, 314 Marine Ave., Balboa Island.