Angels Pitcher Nick Adenhart Killed by Hit & Run Driver

**Pazuzu** · April 9th, 2009, 12:27 PM

This is so sad.

Terrible news out of California this morning, where we've just learned that the Angels' Nick Adenhart was killed in an early morning hit-and-run accident in Fullerton on Thursday.

The news was first reported by TMZ and later confirmed by Yahoo! Sports baseball columnist Tim Brown.

Just 22 years old, Adenhart started for Los Angeles on Wednesday night and struck out five over six scoreless innings in a 6-4 loss to Oakland.

According to reports, Adenhart was driving home with three others in his Mitsubishi when a mini-van ran through a red light and hit Adenhart's car, causing it to crash into a light pole. Two passengers in the car died on the scene while another was pronounced dead at the hospital. The driver of the mini-van fled the scene, but was later apprehended by police.

This is the most tragic news you can imagine in the baseball world and our thoughts go out to Adenhart's family and the entire Angels' organization, which was already reeling from the death of a fan who was involved in a fight on Opening Day.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big...urn=mlb,154763

**Shizz** · April 9th, 2009, 12:46 PM

Rest in Peace Nick and the others who passed away.

My condolences to the families involved and the Angels organization.

Please tell me the felonious hit-and-run driver wasn't drunk.

**CountJackula** · April 9th, 2009, 01:27 PM

RIP Nick, so young and talented... such a shame =(

**Insomniac** · April 9th, 2009, 02:01 PM

Jesus. How fucking terrible for his family and the families of the two others that died. Rest in peace.

**LocalCelebrity** · April 9th, 2009, 02:13 PM

Very sad. It is kinda ironic that you would be the one to post this and all...with your avitar being what it is.

**Kalehue** · April 9th, 2009, 03:41 PM

I was just watching coverage of this on television. How terribly sad. Apparently he just had a great game and was pretty pumped up about it. Living the dream just to have a drunk driver cut it all short for him...

Statement from his parents:

"Nick's family expresses sincere gratitude for all the help the Angels have provided. He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring, and compassionate people. The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick's loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone's hearts forever."

**Pazuzu** · April 9th, 2009, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by LocalCelebrity

Very sad. It is kinda ironic that you would be the one to post this and all...with your avitar being what it is.

I actually have changed the avatar.....that was from an old avatar weekly theme that I never got around to changing. And for the record here - I can not thank any of you because my thank button has disappeared

And here is the dickhead responsible - Andrew Gallo. TMZ says he was intoxicated

Cops believe Gallo was driving under the influence and on a suspended license because of a prior DUI. He fled the scene and was arrested. Gallo could be booked on murder charges, along with vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run and felony DUI.

http://www.tmz.com/

**Pazuzu** · April 9th, 2009, 03:59 PM

It just occurred to me how karmically funked up it was of me to post the driver's picture and not Nick's. Here he is

**Wicked Doll** · April 10th, 2009, 08:46 PM

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A 22-year-old motorist who allegedly had nearly triple the legal blood-alcohol level was charged with three murder counts Friday in the crash that killed Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others.

Andrew Thomas Gallo ran a red light in his minivan early Thursday and broadsided a car carrying Adenhart and three friends, police said.

"This Angel and his two friends were too young to be sent to heaven but the defendant selfishly and recklessly [got] behind the wheel after getting drunk. They didn't have a choice," Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said at a news conference.

"Bad decision, blink of an eye, five lives ended, including the defendant's life is wrecked."

Full story here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,6617914.story

**Ninja0980** · April 11th, 2009, 10:04 AM

http://www.examiner.com/x-833-San-Di...lives-lost-too

Figured I'd post this article. The death of Nick Adenhart is tragic. We lost a promising young baseball players who had years left to give us. But also tragic is how the other victims have been largely overlooked. Pretty much every article has Nick Adehart and two friends were killed. Those friendss names were Courtney Stewart , 20 and Henry Pearson, 25. Jon Wilhite, 24, remains in critical but stable condition. I realize the death of a baseball player will get more attention but it angers me how many in the mainstream media have treated the other three victims as if they didn't exist or the pain being felt by their loved ones isn't any greater.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · April 26th, 2009, 05:17 PM

Investigators want to know what bartender may have served man accused of 3 murders.

The California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) wants to learn whether a bar illegally served a 22-year-old man charged with drunken driving and three counts of murder.
[...]
It has not surfaced yet where Gallo had been drinking.

Joseph Cruz, an ABC spokesman, said that if Gallo was served in a bar while he was obviously intoxicated, the bartender and bar could be fined.

"Anytime we have something where it's a serious alcohol-related collision death, we try to see if we can find out who was responsible from the licensee perspective," Cruz said. "We want to find out: Was he so obviously intoxicated at the time when he received his booze at the final service (his last stop) when a bartender served him? If so, then we'll see if we can take action against the location."

Cruz said that serving an obviously intoxicated patron is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. The problem, Cruz said, is getting enough evidence to prove guilt.

"Without us being there to make the observations, you have to try to get witness statements or video. It's kind of hard," Cruz said. "If we can show that through the actions of the employees, they should have reasonably known that this person was obviously intoxicated and they served them, they (a bar owner) could be looking at some sort of suspension or fine themselves."

Cruz said the ABC will wait for the Fullerton Police Department to finish its criminal investigation before his agency begins its own investigation.

"We don't want to step on their toes," Cruz said.

Anyone who saw Gallo in a bar the night of the crash is asked to call ABC investigator Dan Hart at 714-558-4101.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/c...llerton-served

**Hellsbells** · September 27th, 2010, 09:12 PM

Driver Convicted of Murder in Adenhart Crash

SANTA ANA -- An Orange County jury has convicted a man in the deaths of rookie Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others.The jury found 23-year-old Andrew Gallo guilty of all charges Monday, including second-degree murder, felony hit and run and felony drunk driving.

Gallo, a convicted drunk driver, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, felony drunk driving, and felony hit and run in the deaths of the 22-year-old Adenhart, 20-year-old Courtney Stewart and 25-year-old Henry Pearson.

Gallo could face more than 50 years to life in prison. Sentencing is set for December 10

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktl...1.story?page=1

**gee** · September 28th, 2010, 02:02 PM

I believe this was the right conviction for this. They don't do it often but I think chronic drunk drivers should get murder if they kill someone.

**Hellsbells** · December 22nd, 2010, 09:48 PM

Drunken driver sentenced to 51 years for killing baseball pitcher

(CNN) -- A convicted drunken driver was sentenced Wednesday to 51 years to life in prison for a crash that killed Los Angeles Angel pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others, the Orange County, California, district attorney said.

Andrew Thomas Gallo, 23, of San Gabriel, California, received the maximum sentence after a jury found him guilty in September of three felony counts of murder, felony drunken driving and two other felonies, according to District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and court spokeswoman Carole Levitzky.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12...ex.html?hpt=T2