Pasadena is recovering from a violent car accident over the weekend that left three young adults dead and three other young people seriously injured.
The victims, whose ages range between 17 and 22, all had their roots in the City of Roses.
A memorial of flowers and candles gathered near a dilapidated building in east Pasadena marked the spot where the driver crashed his Tesla after hitting a nearby sidewalk at more than 100 mph just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
According to authorities, the driver and two passengers died in the accident and three other passengers were hospitalized with serious injuries.
On Monday morning, the memorial in front of the vacant building on East Foothill Boulevard was filled with votive candles, a soccer ball and shoe, flowers and a pair of leather notebooks in which friends and family could leave messages.
It's where Sergio Nava, 20, laid a bouquet of flowers for his friend Stephan Michael “Mike” Pfeiffer, whom he met at Marshall Fundamental Secondary School in Pasadena. They talked almost every day, and Nava thinks that if circumstances had been different (if perhaps Nava hadn't been scheduled to work at a local Ralphs supermarket on Saturday), he might have been in the car with his friend.
“I know he's in a better place now and he looks down on us,” Nava said, placing the flowers.
Pfeiffer, 20, was from Pasadena, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner's office. The other two people killed were a man in his 20s whose name has not been released pending notification of his family, and Moheb Reda Samuel, 22, of Pasadena. The medical examiner's office previously provided an incorrect spelling for Samuel's name.
Samuel was the driver of the white five-seat Tesla Model 3 that was heading west on Foothill Boulevard when it appeared to have lost control while rounding a curve in the road. He hit a curb and was thrown into the air, according to Lt. Anthony Russo of the Pasadena Police Department.
The car probably went up more than 130 feet before hitting a utility pole and the building, Russo said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but based on preliminary information, it does not appear that the vehicle malfunctioned, according to Russo. The county medical examiner's office will conduct a toxicology test to determine if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.
Samuel and the front-seat passenger died at the scene, while three of the four rear passengers were ejected from the vehicle during the crash, Russo said. The fourth passenger remained in the vehicle because he was wearing a seat belt.
One of the passengers thrown from the vehicle died and two others were transported to a hospital along with the survivor who remained in the back seat of the vehicle, Russo said. All three passengers are expected to survive, according to authorities.
Samuel was charged in September with driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, according to court records. In March he appeared in a Pasadena court for his arraignment and plea hearing.
Maranatha High School in Pasadena issued a statement about the crash because some of the victims involved were students at the private Christian school. He did not offer a name, but a school athletics website shows Samuel was a varsity football player who graduated from Maranatha in 2020. Grief counselors were made available to the school and community, according to the statement posted on Facebook on Sunday.
The school asked the public to respect the privacy of the families whose loved ones were involved in the accident.
“We are deeply saddened by this weekend's tragic car accident that took precious young lives. “We mourn this immense loss and extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all those affected,” the statement said. “During this difficult time, we turn to our faith in Christ Jesus for comfort and strength and ask others to join us in praying for all those suffering because of this tragedy.”
On Monday morning, a student dressed in a Maranatha sweater approached the monument and left flowers. Pieces of the Tesla were scattered across the street and sidewalk.
A large gash in the sidewalk indicated where the vehicle went airborne, and another large scratch in the ground on a nearby corner showed where the Tesla ultimately came to rest.
Among the items at the memorial was a skateboard leaning on the door handles of the ruined building with the name “Mike” etched into the deck of the board.
“He was a humble guy and he didn't like to boast. She was very sweet to her grandfather and grandmother,” Nava said. Pfeiffer had cared for her grandfather until her death and was living with her grandmother at the time of the accident, according to Nava.
Nava said his friend was a skateboarder who studied kinesiology at Pasadena City College. Pfeiffer had planned to change majors, but remained undecided about what to study next.
“I guess we'll never know,” Nava said as he grabbed one of the notebooks to write a message for his friend. Pfeiffer would have turned 21 this July, according to Nava.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help pay for Pfeiffer's funeral services.
