Teen who killed a Riverside woman in crash, and victim’s family,
will speak to MLK High School students Wednesday

Riverside, Ca- A 17-year-old street racer who killed a wheelchair-bound mother when his speeding car leapt onto a sidewalk last fall will face a high school audience to acknowledge his responsibility and to denounce illegal street racing – a condition of the student’s court sentence, issued in March.

The Riverside student, then 16, had his driver’s license only one month when he was involved in a tragic street race that took the life of Reyna De Leon, a 38-year-old wheelchair-bound mother, killed in front of her two young children. The student will talk about the consequences of his fateful decision to race.

The student was racing his 2001 Volkswagen Jetta against another vehicle north along Olivewood Avenue when the fatal collision occurred on October 26, 2006. The other juvenile racer was also arrested and is still awaiting trial.

" The crash-damaged Jetta and the victim’s electric wheelchair will be on display.

John De Leon, brother of Reyna, will speak about the impact of the crash on his family and on the victim’s two teen children.

Riverside Police Sgt. Skip Showalter will be making his presentation against Illegal Street Racing for an audience of driving age 11th and 12th grade students at Martin Luther King High School. This is the first presentation involving the convicted student driver. Deputy Chief of Police Pete Esquivel will also be available.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

• WHAT: Illegal Street Racing

• WHY: Convicted teen driver and victim’s family speak to students

• WHEN: Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.

• WHERE: Martin Luther King High School, 9301 Wood Road, Riverside

NOTE: MEDIA PARKING will be available at the school

Sgt. Skip Showalter: (951) 353-7991