Local physician killed in highway crash

GLENDALE — A Glendale physician was killed in an auto accident on his way to Bakersfield Monday, just one day before his child would be born.

Dr. Mory Nouriani, 38, of South Pasadena, was driving on Highway 99 in Bakersfield when his car was rear-ended by another vehicle, CHP officials said.

He was on his way to teach resident doctors at the Kern Medical Center.

His wife, Kerri Parks-Nouriani, gave birth to a baby girl — who was yet to be named — on Tuesday.

“She’s heartbroken and devastated, and the children are too,” Parks-Nouriani’s mother, Deborah Parks, said of the family.

Nouriani had a great relationship with his wife and friends and touched many people through his work and in his everyday life, Parks said.

“[The couple] was totally in love with each other and had a great relationship,” she said. “He had a lot of friends and made a positive impact on a lot of people.”

Among his friends was Dr. Brian Acacio, with whom he worked at Sher Institute for Reproductive Medicine, which is located in the Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

“He was one of the smartest doctors that anybody would ever know or meet,” Acacio said. “He was a brilliant person, and not just in the field of medicine; he was also a political science minor and very knowledgeable about all things political.”

Acacio and Nouriani had been friends since studying together at USC, and also taught resident doctors at hospitals around the area.

Nouriani practiced oncological gynecology at County-USC Medical Center and was working in fertility medicine when he died, Acacio said. Nouriani’s wife is also a physician.

“He was just a wonderful, charming man,” said Mary Zerebko, who works with Kerri Parks-Nouriani at her private practice at the Verdugo Hills Hospital. “It’s a horrible time for the whole family.”

Nouriani was pronounced dead at the scene after his car was pushed into oncoming traffic following the initial collision, sideswiping a big rig and catching fire, CHP officer Greg Williams said.

Adolphe Melendrez, of Wasco, whose vehicle allegedly rear-ended Mory Nouriani’s car, was cited and may face charges of vehicular manslaughter, he said.

“Dr. Nouriani was not just a fantastic doctor but a teacher, a mentor, and a leader in the field of medicine,” Acacio said. “He died on his way to doing the thing he enjoyed.”

Nouriani is survived by his wife; his youngest daughter, as well as daughter Olivia, 7; and sons Nicolas, 6, and William, 2. He is also survived by his parents, Cameron and Sima Nouriani, of San Diego; brother, Sam Nouriani, of Los Angeles; and sister Bita Nouriani, of Fremont.

His service will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena and the burial will be at 1 p.m. at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.