SANTA MONICA—A traffic collision on Sunday, May 10 left a 16-year-old dead and his 20-year-old companion in critical condition. A press release from the Santa Monica Police Department stated that the teen had been driving his scooter against a red light when he and his adult male friend were subsequently hit by a car.
The identity of the young scooter driver is that of Leo Castillo, a freshman at Santa Monica High School. Lieutenant Richard Lewis of the SMPD confirmed with the Canyon News that Castillo did not have a license to drive the scooter. Lewis also indicated that neither the driver nor passenger of the scooter was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.
The incident occurred a little before 9 p.m. at the intersection of 26th Street and Olympic Boulevard. The young scooter driver had been traveling northbound on 26th Street before being struck by a westbound car at Olympic Boulevard.
The driver of the vehicle was a 73-year-old man from Los Angeles who SMPD say was unable to avoid hitting Castillo due to him running the red light.
Castillo later died of his injuries at a local hospital while his passenger remains in critical condition at a local trauma center. Lt. Lewis stated that it is still “under investigation” whether or not the scooter riders were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
![Castillo was a freshman at Santa Monica High School.](http://www.canyon-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/samohi.jpg)
The driver of the car was not injured and police have confirmed that he was sober at the time of the crash. After cooperating with the investigation and undergoing a formal interview, the man was released until further investigation. A GoFundme page has been set-up for Castillo to help with burial costs for the family.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Investigator Jason Olson at (310) 458-8954 or Sergeant Phillbo Rubish at (310) 458-8950 or the Santa Monica Police Department (24 hours) at (310) 458-8495.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME (1-800-78-27463), or submit the tip online at www.wetip.com. You will remain completely anonymous and may be eligible for a reward, up to $1,000.00, if your information leads to an arrest and conviction.
Callers can also contact Crime Stoppers by either calling (800) 222-TIPS, texting from your mobile, or by visiting their website at www.lacrimestoppers.org. Callers may remain anonymous and may be qualified to receive a $1,000.00 reward by Crime Stoppers.