EDITORIAL:

Six people with area ties died in car accidents recently, a somber reminder of the dangers we all face when we take to the roads.

On June 1, three young men — passengers — were killed when the car they were riding in rear-ended another vehicle and slammed into a light pole in Costa Mesa. The next night, a pedestrian was struck and killed in Costa Mesa.

Last Sunday, Amy Strutzenberg, daughter of Newport Beach residents John and Cindy Trane Christeson, a religion columnist for the Daily Pilot, was killed when a tire on the van her mother was driving on a trip from the Bay Area burst and sent the vehicle careening off the road.

And Friday night, a bicyclist was struck and killed in Newport Beach.

Many in the Newport-Mesa community were saddened when they read about the stories, including a slew of funerals, in the Daily Pilot, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims.

It should be noted that the alleged driver in the accident involving the pedestrian was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and the driver in the June 1 accident was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and three counts of vehicular manslaughter.

If these suspicions are ultimately proven, it would be a tragedy on top of a tragedy, because it would mean that the accidents could have been avoided.

There is no silver lining here, but there is, perhaps, a lesson and a reminder.

The lesson: As drivers, we should control what we can control — and drive soberly and safely.

The reminder: There is much, such as blown tires, that we can’t control. We are all subject to unavoidable tragedies. We can savor the time we have. We at the Daily Pilot can’t say it any better than John Christeson.

“Our challenge now is to not be sad,” he said, adding that every minute the family spent with his daughter Amy was joyous.