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THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2010
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
DRE#01197544
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 15, Number 49
Community shows support for crash victims BY JENNA FRAZIER | VILLAGE NEWS Bird Rock community members are rallying to support the victims of Sunday’s tragic accident involving a suspected intoxicated driver who crashed into the Cass Street Café on La Jolla Boulevard, seriously injuring three teenagers and two adults. Visitors are invited to come to Cass
Street Café, 5550 La Jolla Blvd., on Saturday, Aug. 21 to sign large posters and drop off additional cards or gifts for the three teenagers who were struck by the vehicle while walking on the sidewalk with two other friends near the café. Lt. Andra Brown of the San Diego Police Department said that the names of the victims could not be released
because they are minors, but she said that all three were hospitalized and suffered injuries. The two male victims were treated for injuries that included a broken arm, a fractured tibia and a possible concussion, and the female sustained “pretty serious injuries” including a fractured pelvis and femur, she said. SDPD Det. John Letteri said that the
two injured adults were Sherry and Jeff Macelli, Bird Rock residents who were seated at a table near the window when the vehicle crashed through the wall. Cass Street Café closed temporarily for repairs following the crash, with plywood covering the wall that was impacted by the vehicle. It reopened for business Tuesday morning.
Owner Mike Campagna said he was working with insurance companies and other authorities in the aftermath of the incident and did not wish to comment on the accident at the time this issue went to press. The man operating the vehicle, which Brown said was a “tannishSEE CRASH, Page 2
Paragliding collision raises safety concerns Experts say, ‘Just bring your brain with you’ BY JENNA FRAZIER | VILLAGE NEWS On a clear day when the winds are just right, the skies along the 4.5-mile stretch of coastline at the Torrey Pines Gliderport fill with one of the most diverse groups of aviation sport enthusiasts in the state. When two paragliders collided mid-air Aug. 8, seriously injuring one of the gliders, questions arose about the safety risks of hang gliding, paragliding and other affiliated sports. Bruce Elder, attorney for the Gliderport and a certified tandem instructor pilot for paragliders, witnessed the accident. “One paraglider tangled his wing with the feet of another paraglider and lost control of the wing,” he said. “As a consequence, he fell against the cliff edge. Fortunately, he’s going to be all right.” While Elder called the accident “unfortunate,” he added that such incidents are extremely rare. “I’ve been flying at the Gliderport for 10 years, and I’ve never seen two gliders collide like that,” he said. “Collisions are extremely rare, but when there is an accident, we take it very seriously.” Lifeguard Chief Rick Wurts said that lifeguards keep statistics on cliff rescues but do not track which ones pertain specifically to gliders. “We do get a number of cliff rescues each year, but the vast majority are from people trying to hike up or down the cliffs,” Wurts said. “Occasionally, there’s an incident of a hang glider colliding with the cliff, but it’s certainly not a large percentage of the overall number of cliff rescues we do.” Elder said most gliding accidents do not occur due to faulty equipment or unstable conditions, especially at Torrey Pines. “The conditions at Torrey Pines are very benign and safe relative to most flying sites around the world,” he said. “There’s typically a very smooth airflow coming off the ocean, rather than turbulent air that often comes in mountainous areas.” Instead, most accidents occur when riders are distracted, he said. “Pilots need to take extra care to be very alert,” he said. “Accidents almost always result from a momentary lapse in judgment or attention, very much like running into a curb or getting into a fender bender while driving because you’re not looking.” Four types of gliders — hang gliders, paragliders, radio-controlled models and full-size sailplanes — frequent the Gliderport, and each requires a unique level of training and certification. “No one can fly at that site without having training and without being certified,” he said. Paragliders and hang gliders must be certified through a training program approved by the U.S. Hang Gliding and Paragliding Associ-
Timid leopard sharks can frequently be seen in the shallows of La Jolla Shores. DON BALCH | Village News
Recent shark sightings in La Jolla prompt caution BY JENNA FRAZIER | VILLAGE NEWS
ation (USHPA), a nonprofit organization that defines training levels and instruction standards and issues certifications. Elder said many people confuse the two types of gliders. Hang gliders have triangular-shaped wings and the pilot lays flat, while paragliders travel at slower speeds. “Hang gliders are required to have a higher level of certification than paragliders because of the aircraft and conditions,” Elder said. The programs involve a combination of classroom instruction,
Two shark sightings were reported off the coast of La Jolla Shores on Sunday, Aug.15, said lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum. The first sighting was reported at 9:30 a.m. by a kayaker, who said he saw “a large gray and white shark about 15 or 16 feet long,” about two miles offshore, Lerum said. The kayaker said the shark’s tail fin bumped into his kayak. “He notified lifeguards right away, but that didn’t cause great concern for people swimming on the beach because it was so far out,” Lerum said. “It’s a regular occurrence for sharks to be in San Diego waters, but it’s rare for people to see them.” Later that day, around 5:30 p.m., three different lifeguards observed a large shark about 50 yards off La Jolla Shores, Lerum said. “They had a pretty clear view of it with highpowered binoculars,” he said. Lerum said the second sighting did cause concern for public safety because of its proximity to the shore. “We warned the public, but it was a voluntary evacuation and the water was not closed because no behavior was observed that would suggest the shark was feeding or acting unusual,” he said.
SEE GLIDER, Page 2
SEE SHARKS, Page 2
Conditions at Torrey Pines Gliderport are relatively safe. Two paragliders collided in mid-air Aug. 8, seriously injuring one of the gliders, yet incidents of two paragliders colliding are extremely rare. DON BALCH | Village News