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El Sobrante teen killed, father and sister injured in suspected DUI crash in Oregon
An El Sobrante family is grieving the death of an 18-year-old killed in a suspected DUI crash in Oregon that also left his father critically injured and his twin sister hospitalized.
RICHMOND, Calif. - Flowers, candles, and handwritten notes continued to fill up a growing memorial outside De Anza High School as the community mourned the loss of 18-year-old Davin Smith, who was killed by a suspected DUI driver in Oregon.
The crash occurred around 3 p.m. on Interstate 5 near Canyonville, Oregon, while the Smith family was traveling for spring break on Monday. According to local news reports, a semi-truck stalled on the highway, leading to a fiery collision. The driver of that truck was subsequently arrested on suspicion of DUI and manslaughter.
The devastation has left the family facing an unthinkable recovery process. Davin’s father, a veteran teacher at De Anza High School, was critically injured and remains hospitalized. Davin’s twin sister, Annika, was also seriously hurt and had to be airlifted to a trauma center. Her boyfriend, Ivan Gonzalez of Hercules, was also in the vehicle and suffered a broken arm.
"A lot of grief, a lot of unknown of how the family's doing, sad, just a lot of emotions going through," said Tracy LaFreniere, a resident of El Sobrante. "It's just tragic and it’s hard to process just to think that when my kids come to school next week they're not going to be able to see the people they normally would see in the hallways."
Both of Davin's parents have spent years teaching and supporting families within the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
Community support and recovery
Family friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral and medical expenses.
Sara Webb-Schmitz, who has been in contact with the twins' mother, Liz, since the crash, emphasized the financial and emotional burden now resting on the family.
"The mother was working part-time in special education primarily and the father is going to have a pretty lengthy recovery," Webb-Schmitz said. "They won't be able to work for some time and have an income, and that's terrifying for a family to be dealing with that on top of the devastation of losing your baby."
Webb-Schmitz described Liz Smith as a strong and caring person.
"She's in the middle of the absolute worst thing that any parent can ever imagine," Webb-Schmitz added.
She added that the West Contra Costa Unified School District announced that grief counselors will be available for students and staff on Friday. Additional support services are being coordinated at other campuses where the Smith family is well-known on Monday.
The Source: Interviews with people who know the victims, local media reports, GoFundMe