The deadly crash that took the lives of three young people, and forever changed the lives of their families, is often referred to as “The Nick Adenhart crash that killed two others.” While Adenhart will forever have a special place in the hearts of all the Angels, and their fans, the other victims had much stronger southland ties. The parents and siblings of Courtney Stewart, and Henry Pearson were there tonight in Fullerton when the lone survivor of the tragedy was honored at Goodwin Field. Jon Wilhite played catcher for the Titans from 2004 to 2008, and was good friends with Stewart, a sophomore cheerleader, and Pearson, who was a high school teammate of Wilhite’s. He told me tonight, it’s very difficult for him to see the families of his friends who lost their lives, but you can tell from their hugs and the looks in their eyes, how much they mean to each other, and how much it means to them to see the inspiration of at least one person not only surviving that tragedy, but thriving in his recovery. I talked to the trio of first responders who were at the scene that night, when they tried to save the others, and found Jon’s head internally decapitated. Watching them watch Wilhite not only walk around the field, but throw out the first pitch, you could see the sense of satisfaction in their eyes from their efforts that so often, don’t produce a happy ending. All the police and firemen who were in action that night, were recognized on the field, and got some of the biggest applause, including many of the Flyers players seeking them out to shake their hands. The memorial t-shirts of the Wilhite family, Henry Pearson’s mother Arita wearing an Angels jersey with his name on it, Carrie Stewart with a t-shirt that had her daughter Courtney’s picture on it…those are all images I’ll long remember, as well as the depth and devotion of the Titans’ family. Flyers manager Phil Nevin, a former all-American at Fullerton, spearheaded the gathering, but he had a very willing and giving community to draw from, that was in its finest Orange colors on Monday night. I’ve linked our coverage of the event for you here.
