Driver charged in student’s death

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed a felony vehicular manslaughter charge today on the 19-yearold driver who hit and killed 16-year-old Arcadia High School student  Alice Zhang as she crossed Duarte Road near Baldwin Avenue with her friend.

Arcadia Police concluded that the accident was preventable if the driver had cleaned his windshield, which would have diminished the glare of the setting sun.

According to police, on Sunday, April 10, at about 6:40 p.m., Bowen Du, of Arcadia, was driving a 1997 Lexus westbound in the 600 block of Duarte Road when his vehicle struck two teenage pedestrians, crossing the street in a mid-block crosswalk.

Zhang was transported to Methodist Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.  The second victim, a 16 year old girl from Upland, was seriously injured and transported by Arcadia Fire Department Paramedics to a local hospital.  She was treated and released on a later date.

The Arcadia Police Department Major Accident Investigation Team completed their investigation in recent days and presented the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office who filed one felony count of vehicular manslaughter on Du.  A warrant in the amount of $50,000 was issued for Du, and through his attorney, arrangements have been made for Du to surrender to court. Police investigators have ruled out excessive speed, cell phone use, and intoxication on the part of the driver. They also confirmed that all crosswalk safety measures were in proper order and functioning at the time of this collision, with the exception of two in-ground LED lights. Evidence at the time of collision was collected and examined by Police Department personnel at the scene. The driver’s windshield was excessively dirty and results of our investigation revealed this vision obstruction, combined with the setting sun at the time of collision, played a major role in the cause of the collision.

Interim Police Chief Robert Guthrie said that many crosswalks within the City have high-visibility signage and/or in-ground/sign-mounted flashing warning lights.  The crosswalk at the scene of this collision was and is equipped with both. The Police Department has also conducted several pedestrian stings and directed enforcement at this location and others along Duarte Road in an effort to increase awareness to safety and compliance with pedestrian related laws, on the part of both drivers and pedestrians.

— By Scott Hettrick